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Effects on serotonin, blood glucose regulation, and more!
Although the above would probably be the main mechanisms by which whey could help the dieter, there are several secondary effects of whey which will assist in weight loss. for instance , whey’s effects on serotonin levels. Serotonin is perhaps the foremost studied neurotransmitter since it's been found to be involved during a wide selection of psychological and biological functions. Serotonin ( also called 5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) is involved mood, anxiety, and appetite.
Elevated levels of serotonin can cause relaxation and reduced anxiety. Low serotonin levels are related to low mood, increased anxiety (hence the present popularity of the SSRI drugs like Prozac and others), and poor appetite control. this is often a particularly abbreviated description of all the functions serotonin performs within the physical body - many of which have yet to be fully elucidated - but a full explanation is beyond the scope of this text .
Needless to mention , Increased brain serotonin levels are related to an improved ability of individuals to deal with stress, whereas a decline in serotonin activity is related to depression and anxiety. Elevated levels of serotonin within the body often end in the relief of depression, also as substantial reduction in pain sensitivity, anxiety and stress. it's also been theorized that a diet-induced increase in tryptophan will increase brain serotonin levels, while a diet designed for weight loss (e.g., a diet that reduces calories) may cause a discount of brain serotonin levels thanks to reduced substrate for production and a discount in carbohydrates.
Many people on a reduced calorie intake in an effort to reduce find they're often ill tempered and more anxious. Reductions in serotonin could also be partially responsible here. One recent study (The bovine protein alpha-lactalbumin increases the plasma ratio of tryptophan to the opposite large neutral amino acids, and in vulnerable subjects raises brain serotonin activity, reduces cortisol concentration, and improves mood under stress. Am J Clin Nutr 2000 Jun;71(6):1536-1544) examined whether alpha-lactalbumin - a serious sub fraction found in whey which has an especially high tryptophan content - would increase plasma Tryptophan levels also reduce depression and cortisol concentrations in subjects under acute stress considered to be susceptible to stress.
The researchers examined twenty-nine "highly stress-vulnerable subjects" and 29 "relatively stress-invulnerable" subjects employing a test , placebo-controlled study design. The study participants were exposed to experimental stress after eating a diet enriched with either alpha-lactalbumin (found in whey) or sodium-caseinate, another milk based protein. They researchers looked at:
* Diet-induced changes within the plasma Tryptophan and its ratio to other large neutral amino acids.
* Prolactin levels.
* Changes in mood and pulse .
* Cortisol levels (which were assessed before and after the stressor).
Amazingly, the ratio of plasma Tryptophan to the opposite amino acids tested was 48% higher after the alpha-lactalbumin diet than after the casein diet! This was amid a decrease in cortisol levels and better prolactin concentration. Perhaps most vital and relevant to the typical person reading this text , they found "reduced depressive feelings" when test subjects were anesthetize stress.
They concluded that the "Consumption of a dietary protein enriched in tryptophan increased the plasma Trp-LNAA ratio and, in stress-vulnerable subjects, improved coping ability, probably through alterations in brain serotonin." This effect wasn't seen within the sodium-caseinate group. If other studies can confirm these findings, whey may end up to be yet one more safe and effective supplement within the battle against depression and stress, also as reduced serotonin levels thanks to dieting.
Although there's an extended list of hormones involved in appetite regulation, a number of which are mentioned above, serotonin appears to be a key player within the game. generally , experiments find increased serotonin availability or activity = reduced food consumption and decreased serotonin = increase food consumption. If whey can selectively increase serotonin levels above that of other proteins, it might be very helpful to the dieter.
Other possible advantages whey may confer to the dieter is improved blood glucose regulation (Frid AH, Nilsson M, Holst JJ, Bjorck IM. Effect of whey on blood sugar and insulin responses to composite breakfast and lunch meals in type 2 diabetic subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jul;82(1):69-75.) which is yet one more key area in controlling appetite and metabolism.
Finally, calcium from dairy products has been found to be related to a discount in bodyweight and fat mass. Calcium is assumed to influence energy metabolism as intracellular calcium regulates adipose cell (adipocyte) lipid metabolism also as triglyceride storage. It’s been demonstrated in several studies the prevalence of dairy versus non-dairy sources of calcium for improving body composition, and therefore the whey fraction of dairy maybe the key.
The mechanism liable for increased fat loss found with dairy-based calcium versus nondairy calcium has not isn't fully understood but researchers watching the difficulty theorized "... dairy sources of calcium markedly attenuate weight and fat gain and accelerate fat loss to a greater degree than do supplemental sources of calcium. This augmented effect of dairy products relative to supplemental calcium is probably going thanks to additional bioactive compounds, including the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and therefore the rich concentration of branched-chain amino acids in whey, which act synergistically with calcium to attenuate adiposity."
It appears components in whey - a number of which are mentioned above - are thought to act synergistically with calcium to enhance body composition (Zemel MB. Role of calcium and dairy products in energy partitioning and weight management. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 May;79(5):907S-912S.).
Conclusion
Taken in isolation, none of those studies are so compelling that folks should run out and use whey as some sort of weight loss nirvana. However, taken as a complete picture, the majority of the research seems to conclude that whey may actually have some unique effects for weight loss and will be of great use to the dieter. More studies are clearly needed however.
So what's the sensible application of all this information and the way does the dieter put it to good use? Being the appetite suppressing effects of whey appear to last approximately 2-3 hours, it might seem best to stagger the intake throughout the day. for instance , breakfast could be 1-2 scoops of whey and a bowl of oatmeal, and maybe a couple of scoops of whey taken between lunch and dinner.
If whey does what the info suggests it does within the above, that ought to be the foremost effective method for maximizing the consequences of whey on food (calorie) intake on subsequent meals also because the other metabolic effects covered. If understanding , the schedule could also be different however and other people should follow the pre and post nutrition recommendations made in my ebook "Muscle Building Nutrition" or advice easily found on the 'net via the various sports nutrition and bodybuilding related internet sites .