How Whey Protein Can Help You Lose Weight!

Whey protein is one of the most important dietary supplements when it comes to muscle gain, but do you know it is also beneficial in weight loss? Find out how it will help you defeat hunger and achieve your goals!

Food, workouts, sleep, stress and genes are the main factors that determine how we feel and look. If you have already made changes to your diet, you are training and have a good night sleep, but you can’t get rid of excess fat, whey protein is the supplement that can help you.

What Is Whey Protein?

Whey is a milk protein that is a by-product of cheese production. Among all protein sources, whey protein has the best absorption value. It is considered a complete source of protein because it contains all the essential amino acids. Whey also contains more branch-chained amino acids (BCAAs) than any other protein.

It is a well-known fact that whey protein is an invaluable nutritional supplement for everyone who wants to gain muscle mass. This has been proven by many scientific studies. But the benefits of whey protein don’t end here.

How Does Whey Protein Can Help You Lose Weight?

You drink protein and lose weight? I know it sounds too good to be true. But it works! Let's see how.

1. Whey Protein Is Rich in Leucine

In fact, whey protein contains more leucine (which is an important branch-chained amino acid) than any other food. Leucine plays an important role in unlocking muscle growth - and this is a process that burns a lot of extra calories. Leucine also stimulates the breakdown of fatty acids.

2. Whey Protein Helps Suppress Appetite

Whey protein contains several bioactive compounds that have a powerful effect on the body. One of these compounds is glycomacropeptide (or GMP), which plays an important role in suppressing appetite. Taking GMP leads to the secretion of more cholecystokinin (CCK) in the small intestine. Cholecystokinin is released after we eat something, to send a signal to the brain that we are already satiate.

In a scientific study, scientists gave a group of people regular whey protein, and whey protein with removed GMP to a second group. Then both groups ate as much food as they can. Interestingly, people in the group who received GMP-free whey ate significantly more than the group that received regular whey protein. Scientists are devoting this to the effects of GMP on appetite.

3. Whey Protein Stabilizes Blood Sugar

Hunger is a consequence of low blood sugar levels. After a meal, especially if it is rich in simple carbohydrates, glucose levels rise quickly. Shortly after, insulin levels also rise to allow blood sugar to return to its normal levels. The rapid increase in blood sugar and subsequent insulin response lead to a new drop in blood glucose. And you feel hungry again.

Whey protein can help you avoid this enchanted circle by keeping your blood sugar stable for hours. This is because it affects the incretins. They are a group of hormones that improve insulin sensitivity and ensure better control on blood sugar.

Instead of your blood sugar and insulin hitting the ceiling and making you feel uncontrollable hunger, whey protein helps you maintain consistent energy and appetite levels throughout the day.

Is There Scientific Proof of These Claims?

There are at least two scientific studies that examine the direct relationship between whey protein intake and weight loss. In one of them, conducted at the University of Oklahoma, scientists instructed two groups of people not to change their diet for 10 weeks. The first group took 40 grams of protein once a day for 2 weeks, and then twice a day for the remaining 8 weeks. The second group didn’t take any dietary supplements. Both groups did strength and cardio workouts under the supervision of a specialist during these 10 weeks.

After the end of the study, a reduction in body fat was observed in both groups, but in people who took protein the reduction was significantly greater - 9.3% vs. 4.6% in the non-protein group.

In a second study in 2006, researchers found that 60 grams of whey protein per day resulted in a significantly greater reduction in body fat, compared to 60 grams of soy protein or 60 grams of carbohydrates.

In Conclusion

If you want to burn excess fat, it is advisable to include whey protein in your diet. After all, what is the point of making so much effort in the gym if you don’t provide your body with the necessary substances to make the change happen?

My advice is to try whey protein if you can - it's proven to be safe. You can start with a dose of 30 grams once a day for breakfast or after a workout, and in a week or two you can increase it up to two 30-gram doses a day. But in order to have a really good result, your overall diet should be good too.