Whey protein reduced “hunger”hormone
In this study, 90 overweight and obese people who were otherwise healthy took 56 grams of whey or soy protein per day, to the same amount of calories in the form of carbohydrates as a placebo. Doctors measured body weight and fat monthly, and collected food diaries every 10 days. After 23 weeks, the whey group had lost an average of 3.9 pounds more body weight and 5 pounds more fat-mass compared to placebo. The soy group lost about half these amounts compared to placebo, which doctors said was not statistically significant.
The whey group also lost one inch around the waist while the soy and placebo groups had not changed. Researchers also measured ghrelin, a hormone the body produces to tell the brain when it is time to eat, and found lower levels of ghrelin in the whey group compared to the soy and placebo.
Reference: The Journal of Nutrition; 2011, Vol. 141. No. 8, 1489-94
From the April 2012 Newsletter
