We investigated the effects of dietary
whey protein on food intake, body fat, and
body weight gain in rats. Adult (11-12 week) male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three dietary treatment groups for a 10-week study: control.
Whey protein (HP-W), or high-
protein content control (HP-S).
Albumin was used as the basic
protein source for all three diets. HP-W and HP-S diets contained an additional 24% (wt/wt) whey or
isoflavone-free
soy protein, respectively. Food intake,
body weight, body fat, respiratory quotient (RQ), plasma
cholecystokinin (CCK),
glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1),
peptide YY (PYY), and
leptin were measured during and/or at the end of the study. The results showed that body fat and
body weight gain were lower (P < 0.05) at the end of study in rats fed HP-W or HP-S vs. control diet. The cumulative food intake measured over the 10-week study period was lower in the HP-W vs. control and HP-S groups (P < 0.01). Further, HP-W fed rats exhibited lower N(2) free RQ values than did control and HP-S groups (P < 0.01). Plasma concentrations of total
GLP-1 were higher in HP-W and HP-S vs. control group (P < 0.05), whereas plasma CCK, PYY, and
leptin did not differ among the three groups. In conclusion, although dietary HP-W and HP-S each decrease body fat accumulation and
body weight gain, the mechanism(s) involved appear to be different. HP-S fed rats exhibit increased fat oxidation, whereas HP-W fed rats show decreased food intake and increased fat oxidation, which may contribute to the effects of
whey protein on body fat.