A new study published in The Journal of Nutrition provides evidence that drinking a protein- and fiber-based, multi-ingredient supplement shake as a preload before breakfast and lunch can positively influence weight management and metabolic outcomes in adults who are overweight.
Diets composed of either high protein or high fiber are sustainable dietary strategies for weight loss, prevention of weight regain following weight loss, and management of obesity-related health problems. Diets high in protein and fiber have been shown to improve satiety, glycemic control and cardiometabolic risk factors. Despite these well-defined benefits, it remains unclear if the combination of moderate protein and fiber intake have a synergistic effect on appetite, satiety, and/or subsequent food intake. Whether these improvements elicit long-term changes in weight loss or body composition remains unclear. To bridge this knowledge gap, Erin Glynn (Scientific Affairs, Beachbody, LLC) and colleagues conducted a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled energy-restricted dietary study that included twice-daily consumption of a high protein and fiber-based multi-ingredient nutritional supplement shake and an isocaloric control containing lower protein and lower fiber.
A total of 206 healthy adults, affected by obesity were randomly assigned to the energy-restricted (500 calories per day less than energy needs) high-protein high-fiber treatment or to the energy-restricted low-protein low-fiber control. Shakes were consumed 30 minutes before breakfast and lunch for 12 weeks. In addition to completing 3-day food records throughout the study, body mass index was calculated, and body composition assessed using dual-x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). To assess metabolic health, blood samples were collected at days 0, 28, 56, and 84. Exploratory outcomes related to eating behaviors and well-being were also included. Although weight loss occurred in both groups, the habitual consumption of a high-protein high-fiber shakes 30 minutes before breakfast and lunch resulted in greater weight loss compared with an isocaloric low-protein low-fiber control in adults with obesity. In addition, improvements in blood lipids were observed in the high-protein high-fiber groups throughout the study. These findings suggest that the consumption of a twice-daily high-protein and high-fiber shake can favorably influence weight management and metabolic health outcomes. Thus, diet composition rather than energy reduction alone may influence the success of a weight loss regimen.
References
Erin L Glynn, Stephen A Fleming, Caitlyn G Edwards, Michael J Wilson, Malkanthi Evans, Heather J Leidy, Consuming a Protein and Fiber-Based Supplement Preload Promotes Weight Loss and Alters Metabolic Markers in Overweight Adults in a 12-Week, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 152, Issue 6, June 2022, Pages 1415–1425, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxac038.
Images via canva.com.
