Many weight loss diets tell you to reduce calorie intake with little further guidance.
However, there’s more to losing weight than being in a calorie deficit. While standard reduced-intake diets focus on food restriction, it’s important to increase your intake of certain foods. It can be helpful to focus on adding nutrient-dense foods to your diet rather than taking foods away from your diet.
What’s more, reducing food intake too much may activate certain neurological pathways that increase hunger and food cravings.1
Protein and fibre are two nutrients that you should make sure you get plenty of when on a reduced-intake diet. This is because protein and fibre support weight loss efforts and help you stay healthy as your body changes.
The Science Behind Protein for Weight Loss
Protein is one of three macronutrients that is essential to life. There are many types of proteins, all of which are made from amino acids. Proteins may be structural components, enzymes, chemical messengers, antibodies, and more. You can obtain protein through animal-based foods, like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy, as well as plant-based foods, like nuts, seeds, and legumes.
In some cases, weight loss can lead to muscle breakdown. Protein helps keep muscles intact as you lose weight by providing the amino acids needed to rebuild and repair muscles.2
Research shows that increasing protein intake to at least 1.6 grams per kilogram body weight helps preserve muscle mass while losing weight.2 However, protein needs may vary from person to person.
Protein may also aid weight loss efforts by increasing satiety, or the feeling of fullness.
Protein-rich foods have a higher satiety score than high-fat foods. Proteins have been found to elevate certain hormones, like GLP-1 and CCK, that regulate digestion and appetite. Proteins are also complex molecules that take your body longer to break down, which helps you feel full longer.3
Finally, protein helps maintain energy expenditure, which may be affected by weight loss. This is because more energy is required to metabolise protein.3
The Science Behind Fibre for Weight Loss
Fibre is a type of complex carbohydrate that supports normal digestion, heart health, blood sugar levels, and more.
Dietary fibre may be either soluble or insoluble. Soluble fibre (legumes, oats, certain fruits, and veggies) absorbs water and slows digestion, while insoluble fibre (whole grains, veggies, nuts and seeds) helps foods move through your digestive tract. Both types of fibre help with stool formation and make it easier to pass stools.4
Dietary fibre is left largely undigested upon entering the colon. Once in the colon, fibre acts as a prebiotic, feeding beneficial microbes that live there and enhancing the gut microbiome. A healthy gut microbiome is key to digestion, immunity, and nutrient absorption.4
Like protein, dietary fibre also increases satiety and may help you eat less food.
Fibre increases satiety because it slows digestion, regulates certain hormones, and expands in your stomach. These effects may trigger you to feel full and stop eating sooner during a meal.5
Dietary fibre has also been found to have a positive impact on blood sugar, which is closely related to weight management. Higher fibre intake is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.6
While fibre needs may vary, a general recommendation for adults is to aim for about 30 grams per day.7
Benefits of Combining Protein & Fibre for Weight Loss
Whether you’re using skinny jabs, just had bariatric surgery, or are simply following a reduced-calorie diet, combining protein and fibre for meals and snacks may enhance weight loss.
Consuming protein and fibre together increases satiety and decreases appetite. You may even find that you have fewer food cravings when you eat plenty of protein and fibre.
Combining the two nutrients in meals and snacks also supports digestion, keeps blood sugar levels at bay, and helps prevent muscle loss while on a reduced-intake diet.
If that weren’t enough, there’s proof that eating protein and fibre together has a greater effect on appetite, satiety, and food intake than eating the two nutrients separately.1
One study found that drinking a high protein plus fibre shake prior to meals increased weight loss more than a low-protein, lower-fibre shake. Researchers from the study believe that these results may be due to the combined effects of protein and fibre on digestion and appetite-regulating hormones.1
Daily Fuel vs. Generic Protein Powders
Dietary supplements are a great way to get the nutrients your body needs when you’re following a reduced-intake diet.
Protein powders are a popular type of dietary supplement that typically provide a moderate to high dose of protein that can be mixed with water, milk, or other liquids. However, many protein powders miss the opportunity to provide other nutrients because they strip them out during processing to isolate the protein.
Combining protein with fibre and other nutrients in supplement form has proven benefits for health and weight loss efforts.1
Daily Fuel is a dietary supplement made with people on reduced-intake diets in mind. It provides 22 grams of protein, 6 grams of fibre, and 100% of the Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) for various vitamins and minerals.
Unlike generic protein powders, Daily Fuel has not stripped important dietary fibre. Instead, Daily Fuel provides plant-based protein and dietary fibre that aids weight loss by increasing satiety, maintaining blood sugar levels, and aiding digestion.
Summary
Protein and fibre are two nutrients that are essential to not only health but also weight loss. Increasing protein and fibre while on a reduced-intake diet has been shown to support weight loss by increasing satiety, regulating appetite hormones, improving gut health, and helping to maintain energy levels, among other things.
Dietary supplements like Daily Fuel are an important part of any weight loss journey. Daily Fuel provides protein, fibre, and other nutrients your body needs during weight loss.
If you’re using skinny jabs or just had bariatric surgery, talk with a healthcare provider to learn which nutrients and supplements are best for you.
References
1. Glynn EL, Fleming SA, Edwards CG, Wilson MJ, Evans M, Leidy HJ. Consuming a Protein and Fiber-Based Supplement Preload Promotes Weight Loss and Alters Metabolic Markers in Overweight Adults in a 12-Week, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Nutr. 2022;152(6):1415-1425. doi:10.1093/jn/nxac038
2. Carbone JW, Pasiakos SM. Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1136. doi:10.3390/nu11051136
3. Moon J, Koh G. Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss. J Obes Metab Syndr. 2020;29(3):166-173. doi:10.7570/jomes20028
4. Fu J, Zheng Y, Gao Y, Xu W. Dietary Fiber Intake and Gut Microbiota in Human Health. Microorganisms. 2022;10(12):2507. doi:10.3390/microorganisms10122507
5. Salleh SN, Fairus AAH, Zahary MN, Bhaskar Raj N, Mhd Jalil AM. Unravelling the Effects of Soluble Dietary Fibre Supplementation on Energy Intake and Perceived Satiety in Healthy Adults: Evidence from Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised-Controlled Trials. Foods. 2019;8(1):15. doi:10.3390/foods8010015
6. Mao T, Huang F, Zhu X, Wei D, Chen L. Effects of dietary fiber on glycemic control and insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Funct Foods. 2021;82:104500. doi:10.1016/j.jff.2021.104500
7. NHS. How to get more fibre into your diet
Disclaimer:
Information and other content provided in Lily & Loaf blogs should not be construed as medical advice and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise. If you have any medical concerns, you should consult with your health care provider.
