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Protein is one of the primary macronutrients that should be included in any diet to support your overall well being while nourishing your body to help you achieve your health goals. This macronutrient feeds your muscles, increasing satiety in the body and boosting your metabolism naturally for more efficient fat burning capabilities throughout the day. Most commonly found in animal products and meat, beans and lentils, and eggs, protein is an essential staple to every diet which can easily improve your health when consumed in combination with a calorie deficit.
While most protein sources are implicitly good for you, there will always be a hierarchy of options which provide even more nutritional benefit than others and should be prioritized in your day to day life if you want to optimize your diet for weight loss. As you search for a protein source to make as the staple in your eating plan, there’s one above all else that experts agree can help to amp up your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories throughout the day with ease.
Whey Protein
Protein powder is a highly concentrated formulation of protein which will allow you to quickly reach your daily recommended intake. There are a variety of protein powders on the market derived from a number of sources from pea protein to hemp, but the best option you could choose is whey protein.
“[Whey protein] is highly absorbable, with a protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) greater than 1.0, and 1.0 is technically the max a protein can score. In direct comparisons with acute intake studies, whey typically will result in greater increases in muscle protein synthesis compared to other protein sources,” explains Dr. Michael Rogowski, PhD. In simpler terms, whey protein is absorbed into your body more effectively than other protein sources, making it more useful for growing your muscles and boosting your metabolism.
Whey protein is a derivative of cow’s milk, making it a more processed variation than most other sources. However, when you’re working to quickly boost your metabolism and provide your body with increased energy throughout the day, making a whey protein shake is an incredibly effective way to do so. You should still be prioritizing whole foods and natural protein sources in your diet, but supplements can also help to quickly reach your macronutrient goals, helping with weight loss.
“It also tastes much better than basically all other protein sources, so it's something to look forward to eating or drinking, which cannot often be said about plant based or collagen protein sources,” adds Rogowski.
While whey is highly regarded as one of the best sources of protein for a faster metabolism and muscle growth, particularly when paired with exercise, that’s not to say that other forms of protein do not also provide their own individual benefits to your health. “Whey is really just the most studied protein source that we know the most about, but new research is coming out on other protein sources and unique applications they have. Recent research on fish protein suggests it is a great source of bioactive peptides that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties with anti-photoaging activity,” says Rogowski.
You will really find the most success eating a variety of different forms of protein so you don’t get bored of your healthy eating habits, but whey protein is the best and most concentrated form of protein to quickly fuel your muscles for growth.
Even if you aren’t doing strenuous weight lifting or intense cardio, protein shakes and whey supplements can have a valuable place in your diet for improving your overall health, speeding up your metabolism, and priming your body for healthy weight loss. If you’re looking for an easy way to feed your muscles and burn more calories at rest, increasing your protein intake is one of the best ways to do so.
Adding a whey protein shake to your breakfast, replacing a heavily processed snack, or even replacing it as a dessert will offer your metabolism a natural boost so you can have more energy and feel better in your body while consuming enough nutrients each day.
