Analysis: research has found that dietary proteins from milk can be used to target and reduce unwanted fat deposits in the body
By Kanishka N. Nilaweera and Paul D. Cotter, Teagasc
Over the last century, the human diet has changed gradually towards a greater intake of high calorie food. This has fuelled the obesity epidemic, leading to increased risk of development of diseases such as diabetes. Additionally, high calorie intake has also changed the way we look because of storage of excess calories as fat in different parts of the body.
Males store fat mainly in the upper part of the body such as in the abdomen area. This fat is called the visceral, which we know to be linked to health problems including an increased risk of diabetes. In contrast, females store fat mainly in the lower part of the body (such as the thigh area), also known as subcutaneous fat, which is less likely to result in the development of the above diseases.
Whilst dieting and bariatric surgery are effective weight-loss therapies, both lack the specificity to selectively target and reduce one type of fat store. For instance, dieting and surgery reduce the fat associated with upper and lower parts of the body. Additionally, there is a societal pressure to achieve an ideal body shape and some individuals feel a heavy mental burden as they struggle to reduce body fat stores to achieve such a body shape. For health and cosmetic reasons, there is a consumer demand to find ways to target and reduce specific fat stores in males and females.
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From RTÉ Six One News, Ireland has become the first country in Europe to introduce clinical guidelines to treat obesity as a disease.
While carrying out research to develop diets that have general anti-obesity effects and reduce total body fat, we stumbled upon a potential way to target specific fat stores in each sex. The related work centred on proteins extracted from cows' milk called whey proteins.
In cheese manufacture, whey proteins separate as a by-product. Whey proteins were originally regarded as a waste material with little value, though it is used extensively by athletes and others to help with building muscle. Since these milk proteins contain amino acids important for growth and development, there is a huge appeal from the dairy industry to use whey proteins in the human diet for promoting health in other ways, provided if there is evidence from research backing such claims.
With this background, we undertook research with a view to finding if whey proteins can reduce weight gain and fat stores associated with high calorie intake. A decade of research demonstrated the anti-obesity efficacy of whey proteins and, importantly, a mechanism for this effect. We previously detailed this work for RTÉ Brainstorm and how whey proteins alter the microbes living in the gut. In turn, the molecules produced by these microorganisms caused the reduction in weight gain and fat stores in the body.
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From RTÉ Brainstorm, how can we enjoy a tasty, fatty meal without weight gain?
While going through all our previous research as a way to generate new ideas for further investigation, we made a startling discovery. We observed that whey proteins, when consumed with other macronutrients in the diet, specifically dietary fat and carbohydrates, cause an interaction in the gut, which then target and reduce specific fat stores in the body.
Armed with this new knowledge, and with the realisation of the significance of this discovery for the dairy industry and consumers seeking health promoting diets that can improve body shape and health, we undertake further research. We found new evidence that whey proteins have a hidden accuracy, brought about through interaction with dietary fat and carbohydrates, to cause a targeted reduction in the specific fat stores in the body. Notably, this interaction can be tailored to reduce the fat associated with the upper part of the body (abdomen area), or the effect can be directed to reduce the fat associated with the lower part of the body such as the thigh area.
We found new evidence that whey proteins can cause a targeted reduction in the specific fat stores in the body
It was pleasing to see that the interaction between whey proteins and other macronutrients in the gut also appear to cause changes in the microbes living in the gut. Furthermore, the resulting molecules produced seem to drive the accuracy of whey proteins that neither dieting nor bariatric surgery can achieve.
This has significant implications with respect to the potential to re-shape the body of males and females. Further research is now on-going to bring this work a step closer to creating diets that the consumers can use to reduce unwanted body fat regardless of the reasons (health or cosmetic).
This research was supported by the VistaMilk Research Centre, funded by Science Foundation Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine
Dr. Kanishka N. Nilaweera is a Senior Research Scientist at the VistaMilk Research Centre at Teagasc. Prof Paul D. Cotter is the Head of Food Biosciences at Teagasc.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
