Do Protein Shakes Really Help You Lose Weight ?

They’ve been touted as a quick fix for women who want to be healthy, but don’t have the time to prepare a full and wholesome meal every night. And with celebrity fans such as Gwyneth Paltrow extolling their virtues, protein shakes have experienced a huge boom in popularity.

But are the benefits of protein shakes so clear-cut? And can they really help you shed weight?


What's in a protein shake ?

 Protein shakes consist of powdered forms of protein such as soy or whey, which is a by-product of the cheese-making process. Flavouring is added to the powder so that when it’s blended with milk or water, it resembles a milkshake-style drink.

Recommended servings vary, but usually include about 20g of protein. The Federal Government recommends a daily protein intake of 46g a day for women and 64g a day for men.

Protein intake, alongside resistance exercise, has long been credited with increased muscle mass. However, US research by the journal Obesity in 2007 found that a protein-rich intake – such as the amount in a protein shake – can also help lower the levels of the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin, effectively suppressing the appetite.

Such studies have led to protein shakes being marketed as weight loss solutions to the masses, rather than just at the traditional audience of gym junkies and bodybuilders.

Not a gauranteed weight loss solution

However, experts say that just drinking protein shakes doesn’t guarantee weight loss or a more muscly physique.

If you’re just sucking down the shakes, that isn’t going to help. You must do resistance exercises alongside taking the protein shakes.


And he adds that a carefully planned diet can give the same benefits. Weight loss shakes have protein in them, but they’re also high in fibre. You can get protein naturally from dairy foods eaten at strategic times during the day and it will help you put on muscle mass and lose fat. Good natural sources are egg whites, dairy and meat.

You can get the same benefits as protein shakes from a holistic diet, so shakes aren’t necessary, but some people find them more convenient which is why they’re popular.

A balanced diet is still required

Protein can reduce appetite when its volume is increased in meals and it may help to reduce hunger pangs. But diets that use only protein shakes for weight loss only work because you reduce the amount of kilojoules you consume in a day.

It isn’t the protein in the shakes themselves that cause you to lose weight, but the fact that you’re eating less kilojoules often by cutting out carbohydrates.

While these kinds of diets can initially show a significant drop in weight, this is due to the water-loss in lean tissue.

It’s important to keep eating a balanced diet even if you’re consuming protein shakes. The main concern is that high-protein shakes may replace other valuable foods, such as fruit and vegetables, or other important nutrients, such as carbohydrates and fibre from the diet.

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