Defeating Adaptive Thermogenesis with High-Protein Diet in Prediabetic Individuals

"High-Protein Diet: The Key to Defeating Adaptive Thermogenesis and Achieving Long-Term Weight Loss in Prediabetic Individuals"
Defeating Adaptive Thermogenesis with High-Protein Diet in Prediabetic Individuals

A high-protein diet has been found to combat adaptive thermogenesis in individuals with prediabetes. The prevalence of obesity has become an increasingly pressing issue in today's world, with a higher likelihood of developing comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. While weight loss is considered the primary solution for obesity, maintaining a healthy weight over the long term is equally crucial.

One of the main obstacles to long-term weight loss maintenance is metabolic adaptation, which is also known as adaptive thermogenesis (AT). This process causes a reduction in energy expenditure that is significantly greater than the expected reduction based on changes in fat mass (FM) or fat-free mass (FFM). Energy expenditure adaptations can persist for several years after a weight loss period, which highlights the importance of reducing AT for maintaining long-term weight loss.

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Various methods have been identified to reduce AT, including physical activity, activation of cold-induced brown adipose tissue, tea catechins, and capsaicinoids. In addition, a high-protein (HP) diet has also been linked to reductions in AT following weight loss.

It is interesting to note that an HP diet has been shown to increase fat-free mass (FFM), resting energy expenditure (REE), diet-induced energy expenditure (DEE), and total energy expenditure (TEE). When combined with increased physical activity, an HP diet can maintain REE even when fat mass (FM) and FFM decrease. In individuals with stable weight, a twelve-week HP diet was found to maintain the sleeping metabolic rate (SMR), TEE, and DEE better than a low protein diet. However, it remains crucial to determine whether an HP diet can counteract adaptive thermogenesis (AT) after weight loss.

The Journal of Nutrition recently published a study that investigated whether an HP diet could reduce AT and expected positive energy balance (EB) during weight maintenance after weight loss in prediabetic patients in their post-obese phase. This study is part of the Prevention of Diabetes through Lifestyle Intervention and Population Studies in Europe and around the World (PREVIEW) study.

The PREVIEW study consists of three years of weight loss and weight maintenance interventions in four groups with different dietary components, including HP (low-glycemic index) and moderate-protein (MP) diets (modest glycemic index), as well as physical activity. This study aimed to assess the manifestation of type 2 diabetes after three years of interventions and analyze changes in body weight, insulin resistance, and body composition.

In this study, the effects of a controlled high-protein (HP) diet were compared with those of a moderate-protein (MP) diet on adaptive thermogenesis (AT) and energy balance (EB). The study was conducted after the completion of the PREVIEW study, using a fully controlled respiratory chamber. The hypothesis was that a controlled HP diet would stabilize AT and increase energy expenditure.

A total of 38 participants were recruited to analyze the impact of the two diets, which differed in protein/carbohydrate ratio, on energy expenditure and respiratory quotient (RQ). Twenty individuals (7 male, 13 female) with an average age of 64 consumed the HP diet, while 18 individuals (9 male, 9 female) with an average age of 65 consumed the MP diet. The predicted resting energy expenditure (REE) was calculated based on fat-free mass and fat mass.

The study found that the different levels of macronutrient composition in the HP and MP diets resulted in different protein and carbohydrate balances between the two groups. The HP group had higher protein intake and oxidation, leading to a more positive protein balance than the MP group. However, the HP group had a less positive carbohydrate balance than the MP group due to lower carbohydrate intake and oxidation.

Based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that the high-protein (HP) diet resulted in a negative energy balance (EB) compared to the moderate-protein (MP) diet. This counteracted adaptive thermogenesis (AT) for approximately 34 months after weight loss in individuals with prediabetes during the post-obese phase. The study highlights the significance of maintaining an increased protein/carbohydrate ratio diet for an extended period to sustain weight loss after shedding excess weight.

 

Defeating Adaptive Thermogenesis with High-Protein Diet in Prediabetic Individuals

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