Diet High in Protein, Low on Glycemic Index Helps Prevent Weight Regain

A diet high in protein and low on the glycemic index appears to be optimal for weight control following significant weight loss, according to an international study in the New England Journal of Medicine.


Researchers randomized some 770 overweight or obese adults — who had recently lost at least 8% of their body mass — to one of five maintenance diets: high-protein/low-glycemic-index, high-protein/high-glycemic-index, low-protein/low-glycemic-index, low-protein/high-glycemic-index, or following their country's dietary guidelines.


At 6 months, the high-protein/low-glycemic-index diet group had lost additional weight (-0.38 kg), while the low-protein/high-glycemic-index diet regained the most weight (1.67 kg). Diets that were high in protein and low on the glycemic index had higher rates of study completion.


The authors conclude that a high-protein/low-glycemic-index diet "appears to be ideal for the prevention of weight regain."