Research
Macro partitioning
High protein diets (increasing protein by >5% of energy) provide a modest but statistically significant advantage in fat mass loss and triglyceride reduction compared to normal protein diets, with a small effect on total weight loss.
To maximize fat loss, ensure your protein intake is significantly higher than standard recommendations (aiming for a >5% increase in energy from protein). This small shift helps preserve lean mass and lowers triglycerides, even if total weight loss doesn't change drastically.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
A difference of 5% or greater in percentage protein between diets at 12 mo was associated with a 3-fold greater effect size compared with < 5% (P = 0.038) in fat mass (0.9 vs 0.3 kg). Fasting triglyceride and insulin were also lower with high protein diets.
Why this rating
Based on a meta-analysis of 32 studies with 3492 individuals.
Source
Assessing the evidence for weight loss strategies in people with and without type 2 diabetes
Peter Clifton · World Journal of Diabetes · 2017
DOI 10.4239/wjd.v8.i10.440
narrative_reviewCited 14×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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