The study involved 21 different patients with metabolic syndrome. They were put on either a calorie-restricted or protein-restricted diet.
A new study shows that protein restriction is effective in fighting obesity and diabetes.
Studies comparing the effects of protein and calorie-restricted diets in humans show that reducing protein consumption can help control metabolic syndrome and some of its major conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure (hypertension). There is a possibility.The results of this study were recently published in the journal nutrients.
The term “metabolic syndrome” refers to a group of conditions that increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels.
“This study showed that reducing protein intake to 0.8 g per kg of body weight was sufficient to achieve similar clinical outcomes to calorie restriction, but did not require a reduction in caloric intake. This result suggests that protein restriction may be one of the key factors leading to the known benefits of dietary restriction. , may be easier for people with metabolic syndrome to follow,” said Rafael Ferraz-Bannitz, lead author of the article and now a postdoctoral fellow at the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School in the United States. increase. state.
controlled diet
This study included 21 individuals with metabolic syndrome who were monitored for 27 days. During this period they were admitted to his FMRP-USP teaching hospital (Hospital das Clinicas in Ribeiro Preto).
Each participant’s daily caloric intake was determined as a function of baseline metabolism (resting energy expenditure). A conventional Western diet of 50% carbohydrates, 20% protein, and 30% fat he was served to one group, but with 25% fewer calories.
In the second group, protein consumption decreased to 10%. Each volunteer’s calorie intake was matched to baseline energy expenditure. Both groups consumed 4 grams of salt daily.
As a result, it was found that both the calorie restriction group and the protein restriction group lost weight due to the decrease in body fat and improved the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Reduced body fat is known to be associated with lower blood sugar levels and more normal levels of lipids and blood pressure.
“After 27 days of monitoring, both groups had similar results in terms of lowering blood sugar levels, weight loss, controlling blood pressure, and lowering triglyceride and cholesterol levels. It improved insulin sensitivity.There was a decrease in body fat as well as around the waist and hip circumference, but not in muscle mass,” said Maria, last author of the article and professor at FMRP-USP. Christina Foz de Freitas says:
This finding confirmed the findings of previous studies involving experiments in mice. “But here we have successfully conducted a fully controlled randomized clinical trial lasting 27 days with a personalized menu designed to meet each patient’s needs,” he said. says Foss de Freitas.
Manipulation of dietary macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) is sufficient to achieve the beneficial effects of dietary restriction. “We have demonstrated that protein restriction reduces body fat while preserving muscle mass. This is important because weight loss from dietary restriction is often associated with loss of muscle mass.” He says Ferraz-Bannitz.
Although this study did not investigate the molecular mechanisms that could explain the beneficial effects of a protein-restricted diet, the researchers wondered whether low protein intake caused changes in metabolism or whether it caused fat to be burned for energy generation. We believe that we have strengthened the energy management of organisms. cell. “There are only hypotheses so far. One is that a molecular pathway is activated to interpret the essential reduction.[{” attribute=””>amino acids as being a signal to reduce food intake while leading to the production of hormones that typically increase when we’re fasting,” Mori said. “Studies in animal models have shown the involvement of such pathways in the effects of both protein and calorie restriction, both of which lead to fat loss.”
Despite the promising results of their studies, the researchers point out that the diets involved were personalized. Mori also stressed that they focused on a specific population of patients with metabolic syndrome (obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and abnormal levels of cholesterol).
“Nevertheless, it’s tempting to extrapolate the results. We know research has shown vegan diets to be positive for cases of metabolic syndrome. It’s also been found that the excessive protein intake common in the standard Western diet can be a problem. Every case should be analyzed on its own merits. We shouldn’t forget protein deficiency can lead to severe health problems, as has been well-described in pregnant women, for example,” he added.
Reference: “Dietary Protein Restriction Improves Metabolic Dysfunction in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome in a Randomized, Controlled Trial” by Rafael Ferraz-Bannitz, Rebeca A. Beraldo, A. Augusto Peluso, Morten Dall, Parizad Babaei, Rayana Cardoso Foglietti, Larissa Marfori Martins, Patricia Moreira Gomes, Julio Sergio Marchini, Vivian Marques Miguel Suen, Luiz C. Conti de Freitas, Luiz Carlos Navegantes, Marco Antônio M. Pretti, Mariana Boroni, Jonas T. Treebak, Marcelo A. Mori, Milton Cesar Foss and Maria Cristina Foss-Freitas, 28 June 2022, Nutrients.
DOI: 10.3390/nu14132670
The study was funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation. The study also benefited from a FAPESP Thematic Project on strategies for mimicking the effects of dietary restriction, led by Marcelo Mori, a professor at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), also in Brazil.
A multidisciplinary team of scientists conducted the study, including researchers affiliated with the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, the University of São Paulo, and the National Cancer Institute (INCA) in Brazil, as well as the Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center (OCRC), a Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Center (RIDC) funded by FAPESP and hosted by UNICAMP.
