Protein is essential; this could not be emphasized enough. However, Some eat too little of it just to prevent deficiency, but a high-protein diet has benefits that cannot be overlooked. Here are the top five reasons you will be better off with a much higher protein intake.
Less Appetite and Hunger
When you eat protein compared to fats and carbs, you feel fuller. Even with less food intake, the hunger pangs do not happen every hour or so, like when you eat too many fats or carbs. This is scientifically backed. Protein reduces the level of the hunger hormone called ghrelin. Naturally, when you consume more protein, you feel hungry less. At the same time, protein intake can also increase the levels of peptide YY, a hormone designed to make people feel full. What a combination.A study even showed that just by increasing protein intake by 15%, overweight subjects started to eat 441 fewer calories in a day without feeling as if they were being restricted from eating. A high-protein diet can make you lose weight, especially belly fat.
Fewer Cravings for Junk and Empty Calories
Usually, when people consume too much carbs and not enough protein, they quickly become hungry again, and they will pick out mostly junk foods. As they want to feel satiated as soon as possible, they get foods that are usually not healthy. This is especially true at midnight when cooking is not an option. Eating enough protein prevents this because you no longer feel hunger pains while sleeping in bed.Increases, Strengthens Muscle Mass
Another reason a high-protein diet is beneficial is that it can increase your muscle mass and, at the same time, even strengthen them. Protein is a building block of muscles, so eating a lot of it can aid in muscle-building as you engage in other physical activities, such as lifting weights. Sometimes, you might notice yourself looking slimmer and toned, yet when you weigh yourself, the scales do not show changes in numbers. This is because you lost fat and water weight but replaced with muscles.Strengthens Bones
It also improves your bone density and gives you more muscles to function better. Studies have found that people who consume more protein can maintain their bone mass better as they age. One reason aging is no fun is that the bones become frail, and mobility is restricted. A high-protein diet can prevent this or delay it. It has been found that people who consume a lot of protein have significantly lower risks of osteoporosis and fractures, two more conditions that aging people worry about. Women can benefit from a high-protein diet because they are prone to osteoporosis when they go through menopause.Boosts Metabolism, Hastens Fat Burning
Protein can increase metabolism and burn fat faster. All foods have the thermic effect, boosting metabolism for a short while as the body utilizes calories to digest the incoming food and gather the nutrients in the foods.However, the thermic effect of protein is much higher, boosting metabolism at a much higher rate. If you consume more protein, you burn fat faster, too, as if you are doing exercise. Imagine eating and having the effect of exercising? That’s a win-win. A study even showed that the difference in fats burned between a group of people engaged in a high-protein diet and people involved in a low-protein diet is tantamount to an hour of moderate-intensity exercise per day. That sounds like magic.
There are many more swell benefits to eating higher amounts of proteins apart from these five. It is also said to lower blood pressure, maintain healthier kidneys, and help the body repair itself from injuries. From these three reasons alone, you’d be hard-pressed not to want to engage in a high-protein diet. The only downside about this diet is the time consumption of cooking high-protein foods as opposed to just grabbing some cakes or pastries, but even this reason sounds like an excuse. You can increase your protein intake by taking protein powder supplements. This is a standard and safe practice as long as you do research. You can learn more about protein powder supplements from different sources out there.
