Eating More Protein and Fiber Helps With Weight Loss, New Study Shows
We’ve known for a while that eating fewer calories and eating high protein can help.
But now, a new study gives us clearer answers about how to do this.
This study, published by the University of Illinois, tells us exactly how much of what worked for people in the long term to lose weight.
Let’s look at the details of this study.
Who Did the Study and What Did They Do?
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looked at a group of people trying to lose weight over about two years (25 months to be exact).
They were part of a program called the Individualized Diet Improvement Program or iDip for short.
What Did They Find Out?
The study showed that people who lost the most weight ate more protein and fiber than others. After one year:
- Successful dieters (41% of the group) lost about 13% of their body weight.
- The rest of the group only lost about 2% of their body weight.
The researchers found that eating more protein and fiber while cutting down on overall calories was the key to losing weight.
They aimed for:
- About 80 grams of protein each day
- About 20 grams of fiber each day
- No more than 1,500 calories per day
How Did the Study Work?
22 people finished the study, including 9 men and 13 women.
Most were between 30 and 64 years old, and many had health issues like high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
The researchers created a special tool that showed the participants how much protein and fiber were in different foods.
This helped people make better choices about what to eat.
People in the study didn’t just lose weight – they lost the right kind of weight.
They kept their muscle while losing fat.
This is really important for staying healthy while being on a “diet” to lose weight.
The researchers noticed that people who made good changes to their diet in the first three months kept losing weight later on.
This shows that starting strong can help you keep going.
Interestingly, people in the study who had depression didn’t lose as much weight as others.
This shows that mental health is important when trying to lose weight.
Why Is This Important?
Many people try crash diets or new weight loss drugs to lose weight quickly.
But Professor Nakamura, who led the study, warns that these can be dangerous if you don’t eat enough protein.
You might lose muscle and bone, which is bad for your overall health.
The study shows that letting people make their own diet plans based on foods they already like can work well.
This personalized approach might help people stick to their diets for longer.
What Does This Mean For You?
This study backs up what many experts have been saying for years: a high protein and a moderate to high fiber intake, combined with calorie restriction, is helpful for losing weight and keeping it off long-term.
So you might want to eat more foods that are high in protein (like lean meats, fish, eggs, and legumes) and fiber (such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans).
Protein helps you maintain and build new muscles (especially if you’re doing some form of resistance training, which is recommended) which in turn increases the amount of calories you burn every day at rest.
Fiber, on the other hand, helps you feel full, which can stop you from eating too much. Think of eating 4 apples in one go versus drinking a glass of apple juice containing 4 apples.
The difference is fiber.
It swells up in your stomach and slows down digestion, also makes the body work to break down the nutrients in them, and your gut bacteria love them.
To give you an idea, the recommended amount of protein intake is 1.2 – 1.6 g per kg of body weight per day.
For fiber, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that men aim to consume 30–38 grams per day, while women should aim for 21–25 grams per day.
To put that into context, the average fiber intake in America is only 15 grams a day, so clearly, most people can benefit from increasing it.
But remember:
The study showed that personalized diets work best. What’s right for one person might not be right for everyone.
So some trial and error might be needed in certain circumstances.
And lastly, before you make big changes to what you eat, it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor or a nutrition expert, especially if you have any health issues.