Preloading on whey protein before a person’s main meal can improve blood pressure, fasting blood sugar and lipid profile in overweight and obese people, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition & Intermediary Metabolism. The study, conducted by researchers from the Iran University of Medical Sciences, compared whey protein concentrate (WPC) with soy protein isolate (SPI) in a 12-week randomized, double-blind clinical trial.

• The research team involved 52 people in the study. The participants were all men, aged 30 to 65 years, and had a body mass index of 25 to 40 kilogram per square meter ( kg/m²).
• The participants were randomly assigned to drink either 65 g of WPC or 60 g of SPI that were dissolved in water 30 minutes before an ad libitum lunch for 12 weeks.
• Researchers measured the participants’ lipid profile and fasting blood sugar prior to the study and after its conclusion, and they recorded systolic and diastolic blood pressure every other week.
• After the study, the researchers found that those who took WPC had significantly reduced their diastolic blood pressure and apolipoprotein B and low-density lipoprotein levels.
• Apolipoprotein A-I and high-density lipoprotein, on the other hand, increased.

Based on the results, the team found that WPC had a better effect on a person’s lipid profile than SPI.

Find the full text of the study at this link.

Journal Reference:

Tahavorgar A, Vafa M, Shidfar F, Gohari M, Heydari I. BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF WHEY PROTEIN PRELOADS ON SOME CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES RISK FACTORS OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE MEN ARE STRONGER THAN SOY PROTEIN PRELOADS – A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. Journal of Nutrition & Intermediary Metabolism. December 2015;2(3-4):69–75. DOI: 10.1016/j.jnim.2015.08.002