Consuming protein-rich foods help aid weight loss, a new research by the University of Sydney shows.
Researchers explained that rather than keeping a calorie check, people should consume protein-rich foods.
Nutritional values of food are measured in kilojoules or kilocalories, standard units of energy. But, the research on apes and monkeys indicate that this is too simplistic as different macronutrients - carbohydrates, fats and proteins - also play a role in regulating appetite and energy intake. In these animals, overall energy intake seems to be less important than achieving the correct nutritional balance.
"Foods are complex mixtures of nutrients and these do not act independently but interact with one another. The appetite systems for different nutrients compete in their influence on feeding," said Professor David Raubenheimer, a nutritional ecologist, at the University of Sydney, in a press release.
According to the team, in nutritionally-balanced foods, there is no competition between these appetite systems and when one nutrient requirement is satisfied, so are the others.
Most of the food are unbalanced and have a higher or lower proportion of protein to carbohydrate than the animal requires. So, in order to obtain the right amount of protein, the animal might have to over or under eat fats and carbohydrates.
For the research, the team studied baboons that live on the edge of human settlements. They found that all these animals were more likely to eat a balanced diet. "This suggests that the baboon values getting the right balance of nutrients over energy intake per se," said Raubenheimer.
Previous studies have shown that spider monkeys and orangutans had balanced diet. In case it did not get a balanced diet, it prioritised getting the right amount of protein even if this meant eating too much or too little fats and carbs.
Researchers state that just like spider monkeys and orangutans, humans prioritise proteins over carbohydrates and fats. This shows that if humans have a diet with low protein, they will over-eat fats, carbs and energy to get the target level of protein.
"We can use this information to help manage and prevent obesity, through ensuring that the diets we eat have a sufficient level of protein to satisfy our appetite," Raubenheimer said.
