Short-term effects of high-protein, lower-carbohydrate ultra-processed foods on human energy balance
Franziska A. Hägele, Catrin Herpich, J. Koop, Jonas Grübbel, Rebecca Dörner, Svenja Fedde, Oliver Götze, Yves Boirie, Manfred J. Müller, Kristina Norman, Anja Bosy‐Westphal
Abstract
Abstract Protein-enriched ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are generally perceived as a healthy and favourable dietary choice for weight management. However, compared with low-processed foods, the consumption of UPFs has been demonstrated to result in overfeeding and gains in body weight and fat mass. Here we investigate the short-term effects of protein-enriched UPFs on energy intake and energy balance in a single-blind crossover trial involving 21 healthy young adults, who were randomly assigned to 2 UPF diets for 54 hours in a whole-room calorimeter. Participants received either a high-protein (30%) and lower-carbohydrate (29%) diet (HPLC-UPF) or a normal-protein (13%) and normal-carbohydrate (46%) diet (NPNC-UPF). Meals were equally palatable, matched for calories, fat and fibre, and consumed ad libitum. As primary outcomes, compared with NPNC-UPF consumption, the HPLC-UPF diet resulted in a higher energy expenditure (128 ± 98 kcal d −1 ) and lower energy intake (−196 ± 396 kcal d −1 ), leading to a less-positive energy balance (18% versus 32%) with gains in protein and carbohydrate balance only. Postprandial ghrelin levels were lower, whereas glucagon and peptide YY levels were higher with HPLC-UPF compared with NPNC-UPF (secondary outcomes). Despite a reduction in energy intake and increased energy expenditure, the short-term consumption of protein-enriched UPFs did not prevent overeating but did favourably affect energy partitioning. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT05337007 .