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Understanding how whey protein benefits weight management allows brands to address this top consumer concern.
Dietary choices play a critical role in weight management as they influence energy levels, calorie intake, metabolism, and more. With weight management a health priority for many consumers, offering evidence-based nutritional products to help them meet their weight goals is an attractive opportunity for food, beverage, and supplement brands.
Products formulated with whey protein can address this need. Learn how whey protein benefits weight management—from promoting satiety to preserving muscle while losing fat.
One unique mechanism for whey protein’s effect on weight management stems from whey protein enhancing satiety. Compared to other protein sources, such as casein and soy, or carbohydrates, whey makes you feel fuller, which helps control appetite, leading to a reduction in overall food and caloric intake.
Consuming whey protein for satiety benefits is effective because whey protein triggers the release of the hormones ghrelin and peptide YY, which regulate hunger and satiety signals. Feeling full makes overeating less likely, which helps with both weight loss and weight maintenance.
Whey protein also helps preserve lean muscle mass while promoting fat loss, particularly abdominal fat. Weight loss efforts focused on retaining muscle have long-term benefits since muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue during rest, leading to increased overall calorie expenditure.
The amino acid content of whey protein includes high levels of leucine, which stimulates muscle protein synthesis, plus lysine and arginine, which have roles in muscle growth and fat metabolism. Besides boosting overall metabolism by increasing lean muscle mass, weight loss supported by whey protein is associated with an improved body composition and becoming toned but not bulked up.
Numerous studies highlight the ways whey protein benefits weight management. For example, research on healthy participants showed that a breakfast custard fortified with whey protein decreased hunger more than the custards fortified with casein or soy protein,1 while a 12-week study of overweight and obese participants found whey protein increased feelings of fullness compared with casein.2
Among overweight and obese participants receiving 60 grams/day of whey protein, there was significantly lower body fat and waist circumference at the end of six months,3 and in a later 5.3-month study of 56 grams/day of whey protein, participants had a reduced waist circumference and lower fasting ghrelin (the hunger hormone) than both the soy protein group and the control group.4
When daily calories were restricted, obese participants given Prolibra®, a whey protein ingredient, experienced similar weight loss to the control group at 12 weeks but with better lean muscle retention and much more significant fat loss—significantly reducing their risk of obesity-related diseases.5 Elderly obese subjects on a calorie-restricted diet supplemented with whey protein or whey protein hydrolysate for 8 weeks also showed decreases in the percent of body fat compared to the control group.6
Foods, beverages, and supplements for weight management can all benefit from whey protein’s natural, clean label and its science-backed benefits. Convenience and format variety are important in the weight management category and can include ready-to-mix powders, ready-to-drink shakes (particularly meal replacement shakes), and healthy snack alternatives like bars.
Communication of the unique weight management advantages (through front-of-package copy and marketing campaigns) that whey protein brings can benefit sports nutrition products and healthy aging products with whey protein. Additionally, fortifying with targeted nutrient premixes will address the specific needs of athletes and seniors.
Women’s nutrition is another big opportunity area. Besides whey protein, these products can contain essential nutrients important for women, such as calcium and iron. Glanbia Nutritionals’ FerriUp is a women’s health ingredient that delivers whey protein, lactoferrin for iron, and vitamin B12.
Whey protein’s unique modes of action give this ingredient strategic importance in weight management products of all kinds. As consumers learn about and experience the benefits of whey protein for satiety and weight management, products that feature this ingredient will catch their attention.
Leverage our high-quality whey protein to create products that truly support your consumers’ weight management goals. Let’s connect to discuss how our whey protein can set your brand apart in the ever-evolving market.
Contact Glanbia Nutritionals today to begin this exciting journey.