🤣 I do it to keep weight on so what puzzles me is people who drink protein drinks to lose weight. My diet plan is pretty simple (it’s just a basic hierarchy of choices):
eat the option with the most fiber
that being equal, eat the option with the most protein
THAT being equal, eat the thing with the highest polyunsaturated fat
after that, eat the thing that tastes best and has the least uncomplicated carbohydrates
eat the thing with the least trans fat
I usually don’t even get past #2 and very rarely past 3.
As people with colostomy bags will show you (if you ask nicely) protein and fat do not make it into the intestines, and do not cause flatulence.
skews the microbiome.
This is true, the microbiome is highly adjustable, and will tailor itself to whatever food your consuming.
I have significant concerns about the protein diet fad and the increase of colon cancer in younger people.
If your talking about carnivore, please note that protein does not go up on a meat based diet, its the fat that increases. Take the standard macros (15% protein roughly) and replace the carbohydrates with fats.
Try cumin and other herbs like savory if you suffer from flatulence. If you don’t like cumin, eat it every day and increase the amount over time. The distinct flavor will decrease as your taste adapts to it.
Visceral fat is usually caused by protein deficiency, adding protein to the diet without any other changes to lifestyle or diet causes a reduction in visceral fat.
There’s numerous studies if you bothered to search. These off the top of the first search engine I try:
Huang G, Pencina K, Li Z, Apovian CM, Travison TG, Storer TW, Gagliano-Jucá T, Basaria S, Bhasin S. Effect of Protein Intake on Visceral Abdominal Fat and Metabolic Biomarkers in Older Men With Functional Limitations: Results From a Randomized Clinical Trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2021 Jan 8;76(6):1084–1089. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glab007. PMID: 33417663; PMCID: PMC8140050.
Merchant AT, Anand SS, Vuksan V, Jacobs R, Davis B, Teo K, Yusuf S; SHARE and SHARE-AP Investigators. Protein Intake Is Inversely Associated with Abdominal Obesity in a Multi-Ethnic Population. J Nutr. 2005 May;135(5):1196-1201. doi: 10.1093/jn/135.5.1196. PMID: 15867303.
CK, Cooper BC, Toth MJ, Gastaldelli A, Arabshahi A, Barnes S. Effect of a daily supplement of soy protein on body composition and insulin secretion in postmenopausal women. Fertility and Sterility. 2007 Dec;88(6):1609–1617. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.01.061. PMID: 17412329.
Christie DR, Grant J, Darnell BE, Chapman VR, Gastaldelli A, Sites CK. Metabolic effects of soy supplementation in postmenopausal white and African American women: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2010 May 1;203(2):153.e1–153.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2010.02.058. PMID: 20435291.
It’s very well established that increased protein intake reduces abdominal fat in pretty much every population
I’m curious about this, can you recommend a study you have actually read yourself?
To the best of my reading visceral fat is directly reduced by reducing insulin levels. Perhaps increased protein intake is associated with reduced carbohydrate intake, which can reduce elevated insulin levels? I’d love to see a study that separates out protein and carbohydrate consumption as variables.
As far as a mechanism goes, my understanding is that high quality complete protein stimulates metabolic changes in gut microbiota. Not changes in species so much or diversity, but activating amino acid regulated pathways and metabolism. Diet quality is typically poor in those with high visceral fat, even if from a very high level perspective macro nutrient targets are hit.
This is quite interesting because as far as I understand, increasing protein intake increases insulin release.
Protein does not stimulate insulin release in a meaningful way, it’s a very minor imperceptible bump. While technically true that more protein means more insulin. It’s almost nothing, and it’s blown away by any amount of carbohydrates.
IP was a high protein powder preparation containing 34 g of protein, 2 g of fat and 6 g of carbohydrates (i.e. 75%, 12% and 13% of total energy content, respectively) per sachet. Protein sources for the IP were composed of a mixture of milk protein fractions and free amino acids (patent reference: US 20140287057 A1). CP was an isocaloric mixture containing only 7.3 g of protein, 7.6 g of fat and 24.5 g of carbohydrates designed to not alter the overall balance of a conventional diet (i.e. 15% protein, 35% fat, 50% carbohydrate).
The subjects were eating the same hypocaloric diet, but had a difference of 56g of protein per day, and 36g of carbohydrates per day. The diet was best effort at home diet, with a dietician checking via phone calls.
It is a interesting study, especially with the increase in visceral fat reduction, but it still (to me) leave open the possibility of carbohydrates being the main variable here. People are more satisfied with protein and cheat less at home. Thanks for the paper recommendation.
I’d love to see the same study repeated with a hypercaloric diet, and a cgm. I suspect the visceral fat wouldn’t decrease due to the carbohydrate load. I’ve read a case report of someone doing hyperdiet caloric diets for comparison, and on a zero carb diet they did gain weight but their waist circumference went down, implying visceral fat reduction.
There has been some interesting work done on zero-carbohyrdate people and their gut micobiome and it’s very different then the standard, but also very diverse. It could be a factor! But I still suspect insulin as the main culprit with visceral fat.
I linked that paper because it was about the mechanism, but there’s definitely papers going around where study participants ate the same excessive diet (and carbs) where the intervention group ate whey protein too or something to that effect and lost visceral fat
I wouldn’t be surprised if improving protein intake or resolving some specific amino acid imbalance (relative to each other or carb intake, given some amino acids can be created from carbs) or deficiency improves insulin sensitivity and glycemic control
Maybe good protein, though protein shakes are often going to come with extra calories and junk that most people don’t need to add to their diet anyways.
Especially if they’re using a milk base or adding chocolate/etc to make tastier shakes. It’s pretty damn easy to drink a surprising amount of calories. Milk can be more calories than beer by volume, for example.
Nobody should be drinking those to lose weight, because weight lifting to the point of needing extra protein is very much a way to gain mass, and doing both at once(gain mass and slim up) is extremely hard. Weight lifting being the most obvious way someone might actually need extra protein.
Other exercise, outside of extreme situations, doesn’t need extra-high protein intake, so it’s just excessive. Especially for lower intensity exercise that someone looking to slim up should be doing more of.
Also with how much extra junk a lot of those protein powders/bars/etc come with, it’s just ill advised. Sugar, cholesterol, carbs, etc. Some are really bad choices in general vs just eating a normal meal.
Losing fat is more about gaining muscle to increase base metabolism. Drinking protein shakes also causes a loss of visceral fat in the absence of any other changes
It’s not “more about” gaining muscle. It’s purely about burning off more energy than you eat. Sure, that’s easier with more muscle, but it’s WAY easier to not eat 200+ calorie candy bars than it is burning 200 calories off, even with muscle.
🤣 I do it to keep weight on so what puzzles me is people who drink protein drinks to lose weight. My diet plan is pretty simple (it’s just a basic hierarchy of choices):
I usually don’t even get past #2 and very rarely past 3.
Protein makes you sated much more quickly than carbs, so a protein rich diet compliments losing weight.
also causes flatulence, lower gut mobility, skews the microbiome.
I have significant concerns about the protein diet fad and the increase of colon cancer in younger people.
Sugar should be avoided, but a balanced diet is important.
As people with colostomy bags will show you (if you ask nicely) protein and fat do not make it into the intestines, and do not cause flatulence.
This is true, the microbiome is highly adjustable, and will tailor itself to whatever food your consuming.
If your talking about carnivore, please note that protein does not go up on a meat based diet, its the fat that increases. Take the standard macros (15% protein roughly) and replace the carbohydrates with fats.
As far as cancer goes, there is no credible link between protein consumption and cancer. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/red-meat#cancer
Try cumin and other herbs like savory if you suffer from flatulence. If you don’t like cumin, eat it every day and increase the amount over time. The distinct flavor will decrease as your taste adapts to it.
Visceral fat is usually caused by protein deficiency, adding protein to the diet without any other changes to lifestyle or diet causes a reduction in visceral fat.
in cases of severe malnourishment.
I’m so done with the brah science in this thread.
No…
There’s numerous studies if you bothered to search. These off the top of the first search engine I try:
It’s very well established that increased protein intake reduces abdominal fat in pretty much every population
I’m curious about this, can you recommend a study you have actually read yourself?
To the best of my reading visceral fat is directly reduced by reducing insulin levels. Perhaps increased protein intake is associated with reduced carbohydrate intake, which can reduce elevated insulin levels? I’d love to see a study that separates out protein and carbohydrate consumption as variables.
As far as a mechanism goes, my understanding is that high quality complete protein stimulates metabolic changes in gut microbiota. Not changes in species so much or diversity, but activating amino acid regulated pathways and metabolism. Diet quality is typically poor in those with high visceral fat, even if from a very high level perspective macro nutrient targets are hit.
This is quite interesting because as far as I understand, increasing protein intake increases insulin release.
This paper from nature is interesting and one of the few that go into looking at potential mechanisms: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-94916-9
Thanks for the paper
Protein does not stimulate insulin release in a meaningful way, it’s a very minor imperceptible bump. While technically true that more protein means more insulin. It’s almost nothing, and it’s blown away by any amount of carbohydrates.
The subjects were eating the same hypocaloric diet, but had a difference of 56g of protein per day, and 36g of carbohydrates per day. The diet was best effort at home diet, with a dietician checking via phone calls.
It is a interesting study, especially with the increase in visceral fat reduction, but it still (to me) leave open the possibility of carbohydrates being the main variable here. People are more satisfied with protein and cheat less at home. Thanks for the paper recommendation.
I’d love to see the same study repeated with a hypercaloric diet, and a cgm. I suspect the visceral fat wouldn’t decrease due to the carbohydrate load. I’ve read a case report of someone doing hyperdiet caloric diets for comparison, and on a zero carb diet they did gain weight but their waist circumference went down, implying visceral fat reduction.
There has been some interesting work done on zero-carbohyrdate people and their gut micobiome and it’s very different then the standard, but also very diverse. It could be a factor! But I still suspect insulin as the main culprit with visceral fat.
I linked that paper because it was about the mechanism, but there’s definitely papers going around where study participants ate the same excessive diet (and carbs) where the intervention group ate whey protein too or something to that effect and lost visceral fat
I wouldn’t be surprised if improving protein intake or resolving some specific amino acid imbalance (relative to each other or carb intake, given some amino acids can be created from carbs) or deficiency improves insulin sensitivity and glycemic control
Maybe good protein, though protein shakes are often going to come with extra calories and junk that most people don’t need to add to their diet anyways.
Especially if they’re using a milk base or adding chocolate/etc to make tastier shakes. It’s pretty damn easy to drink a surprising amount of calories. Milk can be more calories than beer by volume, for example.
Nobody should be drinking those to lose weight, because weight lifting to the point of needing extra protein is very much a way to gain mass, and doing both at once(gain mass and slim up) is extremely hard. Weight lifting being the most obvious way someone might actually need extra protein.
Other exercise, outside of extreme situations, doesn’t need extra-high protein intake, so it’s just excessive. Especially for lower intensity exercise that someone looking to slim up should be doing more of.
Also with how much extra junk a lot of those protein powders/bars/etc come with, it’s just ill advised. Sugar, cholesterol, carbs, etc. Some are really bad choices in general vs just eating a normal meal.
Losing fat is more about gaining muscle to increase base metabolism. Drinking protein shakes also causes a loss of visceral fat in the absence of any other changes
It’s not “more about” gaining muscle. It’s purely about burning off more energy than you eat. Sure, that’s easier with more muscle, but it’s WAY easier to not eat 200+ calorie candy bars than it is burning 200 calories off, even with muscle.
No one is saying eat 200 candy bars lmao
Correct, the 200 was the number of calories not the number of candy bars