Reducing protein intake can help control metabolic syndrome and some of its main symptoms, such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure), according to a study conducted by researchers in Brazil and Denmark to compare the effects of protein- and calorie-restrictive diets in humans. Study report essay is published in the journal Nutrients.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels.
The study showed that reducing protein intake to 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight was sufficient to achieve nearly the same clinical results as caloric restriction, but without the need to reduce caloric intake. The results indicate that protein restriction may be one of the main factors leading to the known benefits of dietary restriction. Therefore, a protein-restricted diet may be a more attractive and easy-to-follow dietary strategy for people with metabolic syndrome.” Rafael Ferraz Banitzfirst author of the article and currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School in the United States.
The study was funded by FAPESP via a PhD scholarship He was awarded the Ferraz-Panitz Prize while studying at the University of São Paulo’s Ribeirao Preto School of Medicine (FMRP-USP) in Brazil. The study also made use of FAPESP Thematic project On strategies to mimic the effects of dietary restriction, led by Marcelo Moreya professor at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), also in Brazil.
The study was conducted by a multidisciplinary team of scientists, including researchers affiliated with the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, the University of São Paulo and the National Cancer Institute (INCA) in Brazil, as well as Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center (OCRC), Research, Innovation and Publication Center (RIDC) Funded by FAPESP and hosted by UNICAMP.
controlled diet
In the study, 21 volunteers with metabolic syndrome were analyzed for 27 days during which their diet was monitored. Throughout this period, they were inpatients at the FMRP-USP Teaching Hospital (Hospital das Clinicas in Ribeirao Preto).
The daily caloric intake for each volunteer was calculated as a function of basal metabolism (energy expenditure at rest). One group was fed what the authors call a standard Western diet (50% carbohydrates, 20% protein, 30% fat) but with 25% fewer calories.
For the second group, protein intake was reduced to 10%. Calorie intake was tailored to each volunteer’s basal energy expenditure. Both groups consumed 4 grams of salt per day.
The results showed that both the calorie and protein groups lost weight due to a decrease in body fat and that symptoms of metabolic syndrome improved. It is known that lower body fat is associated with lower blood sugar and increased normal lipid levels and blood pressure.
After 27 days of monitoring, both groups had similar results in terms of lower blood sugar, weight loss, blood pressure control, and lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels. Both regimens improved insulin sensitivity after treatment. Body fat decreased, as did Waist and hip circumference, but without loss of muscle mass Maria Cristina Vos de Freitasanother author of the article and FMRP-USP Professor.
The results confirmed the results of previous studies involving experiments on mice. “Here, however, we successfully conducted a 27-day fully randomized controlled clinical trial, with a personalized menu tailored to each patient’s needs,” said Vos de Freitas.
Manipulating the estimated macronutrients in the diet—protein, carbohydrate, and fat—is sufficient to obtain the beneficial effects of dietary restriction. We have demonstrated that protein restriction reduces body fat while preserving muscle mass. This is important because weight loss from restrictive diets is often associated with a loss of muscle mass,” said Ferraz-Panitz.
The study did not look at the molecular mechanisms that could explain the beneficial effects of protein-restricted diets, but the researchers believe that low protein intake caused a change in metabolism or improved an organism’s energy management by prompting it to burn fat in order to produce energy for cells. . “We only have hypotheses so far. One is that molecular pathways are activated to interpret the decrease in essential amino acids as a signal to reduce food intake while triggering the production of hormones that normally increase when we are fasting,” Morey said. “Studies in animal models have implicated such pathways in the effects of both protein and caloric restriction, both of which lead to fat loss.”
Despite the promising results of their studies, the researchers point out that the diets in question were personalized. Morey also stressed that they focus on a specific category of patients with metabolic syndrome (obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels).
However, it is tempting to extrapolate the results. We know that research has shown vegan diets to be positive in cases of metabolic syndrome. It has also been found that the excessive protein intake common to the standard Western diet can be problematic. Each case must be analyzed on its own merits. We should not forget that protein deficiency can lead to serious health problems, as is well described in pregnant women, for example.”
About the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
The São Paulo Foundation for Research (FAPESP) is a public institution whose mission is to support scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships, and grants to researchers associated with higher education and research institutions in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP understands that the best research can only be done by working with the best researchers in the world. Therefore, it forges partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of its research and encourages scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaborations. You can find out more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit the FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep abreast of the latest scientific achievements that FAPESP helps achieve through its many programmes, awards and research centres. You can also subscribe to the FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe
RESEARCH METHOD
Randomized controlled/clinical trial
RESEARCH TOPIC
People
ARTICLE TITLE
Dietary protein restriction improves metabolic dysfunction in patients with metabolic syndrome in a randomized controlled trial
THE DATE THE ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED
June 28, 2022
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