Originally published September 26 2005
Experts suggest women add high-protein diet to exercise regimen to accelerate weight loss
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A University of Illinois study suggests that eating a high-protein diet in addition to regular exercise can speed along women's weight loss faster than a diet high in carbs and low in protein, Reuters reports.
Women who follow a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet may lose more weight and body fat, particularly when they engage in regular exercise, than those whose diets are low in protein and high in carbohydrates, a team of Illinois researchers reports.
Yet, both a high-protein and a high-carbohydrate diet are effective for women who desire to reduce their cholesterol level or otherwise improve their blood lipid profile, the report indicates.
A growing body of research points to the benefits of low-calorie diets that are low in carbohydrates and high in protein.
Regular exercise is also known to be both a necessary component of any effective weight loss strategy and key to the maintenance of that weight loss.
To investigate, Layman, a nutrition professor at the University of Illinois, in Urbana, and his team studied 48 women, aged 40 - 56 years.
The diets were equal in total energy, and were both "nutritionally sound," the researcher noted, allowing the women to consume recommended amounts of fruits, vegetables and dairy products, while controlling their servings of protein and carbohydrates, respectively.
At the end of the 16-week study period, women in all four groups lost a significant amount of weight, lost body fat and reduced their calorie intake, Layman and his team report in the Journal of Nutrition.
However, those who consumed the high-protein diet lost more body weight and total fat and less lean muscle mass than did those on the high-carbohydrate diet, the report indicates.
Women with high levels of triglycerides and low levels of HDL cholesterol, such as those with the pre-diabetes metabolic syndrome, may gain the most benefit from a high-protein diet, for example, while those with high cholesterol may gain more benefit from the high-carbohydrate diet, the report indicates.
The research was funded by the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the Beef Board and Kraft Foods.
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