Does Eating Protein Help You Lose Weight?

How far can protein take you in weight loss? Let’s explore whether this nutrient truly lives up to its reputation.

This post is part of Breakaway Limit’s Ultimate Weight Loss Guide.

We already know that including the right carbohydrates and fats in your diet can help you lose weight. By adding the right proteins to your weight loss plan, you can also experience faster weight loss.

However, protein is not going to magically fix all of your weight problems.

Although protein gets a lot of credit for people’s success in weight loss, there are certainly downsides.

Why We Consider Protein the Holy Grail of Weight Loss

Proteins help with weight loss due to how the body metabolizes them.

They are large, complex structures made up of amino acids, which make them impossible for your body to absorb directly.

For proteins to pass into your bloodstream, your body must digest them into amino acids.

However, their complexity makes them harder to digest, just like we saw with complex carbohydrates. Therefore, proteins stick around longer in your digestive tract.

As a result, increasing protein intake will boost fullness and reduce the likelihood of overeating and snacking.

But the benefits of protein in weight loss don’t just end with satiety.

Your body requires a lot of energy to break down protein into amino acids. This is what we call the thermic effect of food.

The thermic effect results in calorie losses of 0-3% for fat, 5-10% for carbohydrates, and 20-30% for protein^[1].

Since a higher ratio of calories are required to break down proteins, this reduces the net calories you’re ingesting. So not only do proteins make us more full than carbs or fats, but we actually burn more calories to digest them as well.

Now you can fully appreciate why we regard protein so highly for its weight loss properties.

Can You Ingest Too Much Protein?

Although increasing protein intake helps with weight loss, it also has its flaws.

We should know by now that the body contains energy storage for sugar and fat. But what about protein?

A majority of protein is present in the body’s skeletal muscle. However, muscle mass contributes to a higher basal metabolic rate (BMR), meaning it burns calories even while you’re inactive. This makes muscle a poor choice for energy storage.

But it does mean that muscle can help you burn more energy throughout the day even when you’re resting. So long as you retain your muscle mass, you can enjoy the benefits of a boosted basal metabolic rate.

If you need to brush up on how energy is related to weight and mass, you can refresh your memory with Weight Loss Basics.

As a result, your body only incorporates protein into muscles to increase your strength or stamina, not for energy storage.

Although your body doesn’t store protein, it does transform amino acids into glucose through gluconeogenesis.

Any excess glucose in your body eventually undergoes lipogenesis, which turns glucose into fat. Unfortunately, this means that excess protein intake can ultimately hinder your weight loss efforts.

Are All Proteins Created Equal?

Foods high in protein, such as red meat and soy, also contain high levels of purines^[2] which are metabolized into uric acid. Although fish is also high in protein, it does not show this association.

Uric acid is generally safe and easily removed by the kidneys. But at high concentrations, uric acid crystallizes and can build up in the joints, causing damage and inflammation. This results in the disease we know as gout.

Gout can severely disfigure joints, decreasing one’s mobility and ability to perform exercise.

The consequences of uric acid don’t end there, unfortunately. It was found that uric acid from fructose metabolism also causes oxidative stress and stimulates fat accumulation^[3].

Whether this link also applies to uric acid of purine origin is unclear. But it’s important to be aware that proteins high in purines may indirectly lead to weight gain through one or both of these pathways.

What Foods Should I Eat?

The way we prepare our high-protein foods can also produce harmful effects often associated with obesity.

The World Health Organization declared that processed meats (such as bacon, hot dogs, sausages) can cause cancer^[4]. Meanwhile, The National Cancer Institute states that grilling or heating proteins at high temperatures produces toxic compounds that can also cause cancer^[5].

One of these toxic compounds is called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which has also been linked to heart disease^[6].

If you’re planning to lose weight to avoid obesity related diseases such as heart disease or cancer, exposing your proteins to high heat may be counterproductive to your goals.

The Verdict on Protein

Adequate protein is vital to our health, since our bodies cannot produce all the amino acids we require.

While there are twenty amino acids that make up protein, six essential amino acids only come from our diet. Proteins which contain all the essential amino acids are called complete proteins.

Studies haven’t concluded that any amino acids are better or even effective for weight loss. Therefore, save your money and avoid purchasing amino acid supplements claiming to help you lose weight.

But as a class of nutrients, proteins are popular and effective for their weight-loss properties.

From a medical standpoint, fish is the healthiest option for adequate protein intake. Stick to fish high in omega-3s and low in mercury, such as salmon and cod.

Meanwhile, reduce intake of red meats, which are possible carcinogens. Avoid processed meats when possible, as they are known carcinogens.

Soy may also be a poor choice for protein, as it contains high purine levels which we noted could result in fat accumulation.

For a plant substitute, a combination of legumes and grains provides complete protein, such as rice and beans. Not only do they cost very little, but you can cook them with minimal effort, saving you both time and money.

As long as you choose the right proteins, you should be well on your way to losing weight efficiently and achieving better health.