Whey Protein Works Better for Weight Loss Than Soy Protein, Says Study
People who want to slim down but want a better alternative to soy should go for whey, a new study funded by the dairy industry shows.
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center randomly assigned 90 overweight and obese middle-aged adults to one of three groups. Seventy-three people completed the study, which is published in the Journal of Nutrition.
The first group was asked to add protein drinks made with whey to their normal diets, the second group drank protein drinks made with soy protein, and the third group drank carbohydrate drinks.
Researchers advising people who are hoping to replicate the results at home to select a whey product that is also low in calories and fat.
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center randomly assigned 90 overweight and obese middle-aged adults to one of three groups. Seventy-three people completed the study, which is published in the Journal of Nutrition.
The first group was asked to add protein drinks made with whey to their normal diets, the second group drank protein drinks made with soy protein, and the third group drank carbohydrate drinks.
After six months, people drinking the carbohydrate shakes had gained a little bit of weight, about 2 pounds, which appeared to be mainly added fat, compared to where they started.
People drinking the soy shakes had stayed about the same weight as where they started.
But people drinking the whey protein had lost a little bit of weight and body fat, about 2 pounds. Additionally, while the other groups saw little change in the size of their waists, the whey protein group lost about an inch around the middle.
Though researchers can't fully explain why this happened or what it means, they found that people drinking the whey protein had cut back on their carbohydrate intake by the end of the study, even though they weren't eating fewer total calories and didn't know what kind of supplement they were getting. People drinking the soy shakes had stayed about the same weight as where they started.
But people drinking the whey protein had lost a little bit of weight and body fat, about 2 pounds. Additionally, while the other groups saw little change in the size of their waists, the whey protein group lost about an inch around the middle.
Researchers advising people who are hoping to replicate the results at home to select a whey product that is also low in calories and fat.
