High Protein Meals = Increased fat burning?

An article published in the December issue of the journal Nutrition and Dietetics reports that overweight people were found to burn significantly less fat after a meal than their leaner peers. (They cannot say whether this is a cause or result of them being overweight, mind you.)

But either way, when the protein content of the test meals was increased, to about 30% of calories from protein, that gap closed. There is already substantial scientific evidence that high protein diets can aid in weight loss, supposedly because protein suppresses appetite better than fat or carbohydates do. Protein also causes a metabolic “bump” after consumption, leading to a small but real increase in caloric expenditure.

So make sure when you sit down to your next meal to include a good source of protein: lean meat or poultry, seafood, eggs, lowfat dairy, or legumes. And I’m sure after Thursday, you should have plenty of leftover roasted turkey to protein-boost your meals for a while!

SOURCE: Nutrition & Dietetics, December 2008.