Incorporating milk protein isolate into an energy-restricted western-style eating pattern augments improvements in blood pressure and triglycerides

Authors: HUDSON, JOSHUA - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC); ZHOU, JING - Purdue University; KIM, JUNG EUN - National University Of Singapore; CAMPBELL, WAYNE - Purdue University

Submitted to: Nutrients
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/18/2020
Publication Date: 3/22/2020
Citation: Hudson, J.L., Zhou, J., Kim, J., Campbell, W.W. 2020. Incorporating milk protein isolate into an energy-restricted western-style eating pattern augments improvements in blood pressure and triglycerides. Nutrients. 12(3):851. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12030851.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12030851

Interpretive Summary: Radical changes to dietary patterns are difficult to achieve and sustain during weight loss; however, to address the overweight and obesity problem, smaller alterations in dietary patterns may be of value and could promote better adherence. To address these issues, we covertly added milk protein isolate (MPI), a potentially healthy ingredient, into "unhealthy" foods and beverages typically consumed in an American diet. It was found that for adults consuming MPI to replace some carbohydrates, the weight loss-induced reduction in blood pressure was more significant. This could mean that for persons finding it difficult to deviate from their typical "unhealthy" eating patterns, replacing a portion of their carbohydrate with foods and beverages containing MPI may be an effective dietary strategy to reduce blood pressure, at least during weight loss. These results suggest that making relatively minor changes to a few specific dietary ingredients, which could lower the barrier to changing dietary patterns, could have practical and positive health implication.

Technical Abstract: Unhealthy Western-style eating patterns (WSEP) predominate, adversely affecting health. Resistance to improving dietary patterns prompts interest to incorporate a potentially health-promoting ingredient into typical WSEP foods and beverages. We assessed the effect of incorporating isocalorically matched carbohydrates versus milk protein isolate (MPI) into a WSEP on weight loss-induced changes in cardiometabolic health and body composition. In a randomized, double-blind, parallel-design study, 44 participants (age 52+/-1 years, body mass index (BMI) 31.4+/-0.5 kg/m2, mean+/-standard error) consumed a weight maintenance WSEP (0.8 g total protein/kg/day)for 3 weeks(baseline). After, participants consumed an energy-restricted (750kcal/day below estimated requirement) WSEP for 16 weeks, randomly assigned to contain either an additional 0.7 g carbohydrate/kg/d (CON: n = 23, 0.8 g total protein/kg/day) or 0.7 g protein/kg/d from MPI (MPI: n = 21, 1.5 g total protein/kg/day) incorporated into foods and beverages. Compared to CON, the MPI favored reductions in average 24 h and sleeping systolic and diastolic blood pressures (BP), waking hours systolic BP, and fasting plasma triglyceride concentrations. Reductions in fasting plasma insulin, glucose, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were not different between groups. Among all participants, whole body mass, lean mass, fat mass, and thigh muscle area, each decreased over time. For adults finding it diffcult to deviate from a WSEP, replacing a portion of their carbohydrate with foods and beverages containing MPI may be an effective dietary strategy to reduce BP after weight loss.