Digesting food of any kind requires energy. When the body digests proteins, it consumes more energy than when it digests carbohydrates or fats—generating heat known as the “thermic effect”. This helps increase the overall rate at which the body is burning calories during its other processes. Individuals on a high-protein diet burn more calories for the same activity when compared with individuals eating a low-protein diet.

Protein has the same number of calories per gram as carbohydrates but it takes longer for the body to digest protein. This leaves you feeling full longer and pushes recurring hunger feelings further away. Often, people who do nothing but increase the level of protein in their diet find themselves losing weight for the reasons mentioned here.

Recent research has shown a clear link between protein intake and reduced blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Although the mechanisms are not yet fully understood, the connection is clear. Eating more protein can reduce your risk for heart disease. Given that heart disease is one of the biggest killers in America, this is good news indeed!

High protein intake tends to lower insulin levels during and after meals. The presence of sugar and fats in the bloodstream after a meal trigger the release of insulin. Insulin tells the body to remove sugars and fats in the bloodstream by storing them as fat in the body. Higher levels of protein reduce the amount of insulin, leading the body to burn some fats and carbs instead of storing them. This helps explain why high protein diets can lead to tangible fat loss.

Protein plays a formative role in the composition of skin, hair, bone and muscle. Eating a diet rich in protein ensures that your body has sufficient quantities of the building blocks necessary for healthy development and maintenance of these components.