Protein is essential to the growth, repair and maintenance of body tissues so it is crucial to consume an adequate amount of quality protein for our health.
Protein is also required for making enzymes and hormones. Enzymes are catalysts essential to all life processes. Hormones are powerful chemical messengers that circulate through your bloodstream to specific target cells, where they generate a wide range of biological responses.
Protein also helps your body maintain fluid and electrolyte balance, provides a source of energy, and helps our body fight off disease. These are the powers of protein in a nutshell!
Research suggests that protein as a dietary aid can also assist with weight release and management. High quality protein in the context of an overall healthful diet may also have positive effects on our body weight and body composition as we age, as well as play a role in the prevention of heart disease, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.
In a relatively recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers studied the effects of increasing dietary protein while maintaining carbohydrate content on weight loss, appetite, calorie intake and fat mass in a small group of study participants.
Initially, participants were instructed to follow a weight maintaining diet (50% carbs, 15% protein, 35% fat) for 2 weeks. Then, after the 2 weeks, they were asked to maintain the same calorie intake but increase the protein intake to 30% and reduce the fat intake to 20% for the next 12 weeks. Even though participants could eat as much food as they wanted in those 12 weeks, they actually reduced their calorie intake by an average 441 per day, lost an average 10.8 pounds in body weight and 8.2 pounds in body fat.
When it comes to heart health, recent research findings suggest that, if done in a healthy way, eating a little more protein - particularly vegetable protein - while cutting back on refined carbs will benefit the heart. A 20 year study of 82,802 women found that those who ate low carb diets high in vegetable sources of protein and fat had a 30% lower risk of heart disease, compared with women who ate high carb, low fat diets. But women who ate low carb diets that were high in animal fats or proteins did not have a reduced risk of heart disease.
Tune in next week, when I discuss why not all protein is created equal and touch on the benefits of quality protein as it relates to preventative health, as well as weight management.
To your health,
Nadia
Your weight release partner
1-877-405-4471
healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com
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