The protein source determines the potential of high protein diets to attenuate obesity development in C57BL/6J mice

Abstract

The notion that the obesogenic potential of high fat diets in rodents is attenuated when the protein:carbohydrate ratio is increased is largely based on studies using casein or whey as the protein source. We fed C57BL/6J mice high fat-high protein diets using casein, soy, cod, beef, chicken or pork as protein sources. Casein stood out as the most efficient in preventing weight gain and accretion of adipose mass. By contrast, mice fed diets based on pork or chicken, and to a lesser extent mice fed cod or beef protein, had increased adipose tissue mass gain relative to casein fed mice. Decreasing the protein:carbohydrate ratio in diets with casein or pork as protein sources led to accentuated fat mass accumulation. Pork fed mice were more obese than casein fed mice, and relative to casein, the pork-based feed induced substantial accumulation of fat in classic interscapular brown adipose tissue accompanied by decreased UCP1 expression. Furthermore, intake of a low fat diet with casein, but not pork, as a protein source reversed diet-induced obesity. Compared to pork, casein seems unique in maintaining the classical brown morphology in interscapular brown adipose tissue with high UCP1 expression. This was accompanied by increased expression of genes involved in a futile cycling of fatty acids. Our results demonstrate that intake of high protein diets based on other protein sources may not have similar effects, and hence, the obesity protective effect of high protein diets is clearly modulated by protein source.

Amaranth Protein Improves Lipid Profile and Insulin Resistance in a Diet-induced Obese Mice Model

“…However because the amount of protein administered is not considered as a HP-diet, it also does not causes the problems of health deterioration as reported recently [30]. But most important, it has been described that the type of protein could have different effects on body weight [31]. In this sense, AMA protein had the ability to maintain the CHO and TG at the same levels of Ctrl diets (Table 3) while SOY treatment produced a rise of CHO and TG levels and the only difference between the AMA and SOY protein isolates is their amino acid composition.…”

Fish–derived proteins and their potential to improve human health

“…Some recent animal studies have found that a diet containing proteins from lean seafood tends to be less obesogenic than a regular Western diet containing proteins from meat such as chicken, pork, or beef. 30,65 Comparison of the gut microbiome of mice fed 2 different Western diets (with lean seafood vs lean meat) revealed significant differences in the abundance of microbial genes. 30 Marine protein sources tend to have moderate to high content of the branched-chain amino acids valine, leucine, and isoleucine.…”

“…67 However, compared with proteins from fish, the milk proteins casein and whey have an even higher content of branched-chain amino acids, and casein has been shown to be more efficient than proteins from cod in preventing weight gain and an increase in adipose tissue in mice. 65 Fish proteins, the gut microbiota, and lipid status A randomized controlled crossover trial previously reporting on glucose and lipid metabolism in response to lean seafood consumption in 20 healthy human individuals 1,3 recently also reported on the effect of lean seafood and non-seafood consumption on fecal metabolites and the gut microbiome. 68 The authors observed a twofold increase in fecal trimethylamine excretion after the lean seafood intervention.…”

Beef, Casein, and Soy Proteins Differentially Affect Lipid Metabolism, Triglycerides Accumulation and Gut Microbiota of High-Fat Diet-Fed C57BL/6J Mice

“…In past decades, an unprecedented increase has been seen in metabolic syndromes including obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, and cardiovascular disease ( Shang et al, 2017 ). Unfavorable patterns of food intake may cause dysfunctions in lipid metabolism and metabolic syndromes because it has been established that accumulation of lipid and triglycerides in liver consequently results in fatty liver disease, hepatic steatosis, and even diabetes ( Maeda et al, 2015 ; Liisberg et al, 2016 ).…”