Bariatric surgery, a highly successful treatment for
obesity, requires adherence to special dietary recommendations to insure the achievement of
weight loss goals and weight maintenance. Postoperative consumption of
protein is linked to satiety induction, nutritional status, and
weight loss. Hence, we conducted an extensive literature review to identify studies focused on the following:
protein and nutritional status; recommendations for
dietary protein intake; the effects of
protein-rich diets; and associations between
dietary protein intake and satiety,
weight loss, and body composition. We found that there have been few studies on
protein intake recommendations for bariatric patients.
Dietary protein ingestion among this population tends to be inadequate, potentially leading to a loss of lean body mass, reduced metabolic rates, and physiological damage. Conversely, a
protein-rich diet can lead to increased satiety, enhanced
weight loss, and improved body composition. The quality and composition of
protein sources are also very important, particularly with respect to the quantity of
leucine, which helps to maintain muscle mass, and thus is particularly important for this patient group. Randomized studies among
bariatric surgery patient populations are necessary to establish the exact quantity of
protein that should be prescribed to maintain their nutritional status.