Most diets, at some point, stop working. For dieters, the result then is a perpetual state of “yo-yo” dieting with weight continually going down only to go back up again. But folks who are seeking a departure from this pattern can turn to Isagenix.
In a nutshell, if you keep at it, Isagenix works. As demonstrated by a study at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, subjects who lost significant weight after 11 weeks on Isagenix kept their weight off even after 12 months.
In comparison, those who discontinued using the system and placed on a heart-healthy diet (rich in fiber-filled fruits, vegetables, and lean meats) were unable to either keep the weight off or maintain the improved body composition that occurred while on Isagenix.
The results may have been due in part to greater compliance by those on Isagenix products, according to nutrition researcher Paul Arciero, Ph.D., of Skidmore College. But another factor that may have contributed to the results of improved metabolism may have been due to high-quality protein.
A Higher Metabolism Maintained
Quality protein such as whey protein has a greater percentage of calories and is a hallmark of the Isagenix system. In a new study, higher protein intake was linked to a higher metabolism and almost 50 percent more lean muscle mass versus fat tissue in comparison to the resulting body composition after following a diet lower in protein (1).
In the original research, participants ate a weight-stabilizing diet for 13 to 25 days and were then randomized to eight weeks of low- (5 percent of calories), normal- (15 percent) or high-protein (25 percent) diets, with an excess energy intake 40 percent over their normal diets (2). Afterward, the researchers conducted an analysis of the overfeeding study to investigate the effects of the different diets on metabolism (1).
The researchers found that the subjects on a normal- to high-protein diet had higher metabolisms compared to those on the low-protein diets. However, the increase in metabolism did not last when switching back to a normal diet. The research suggests that the human body cannot be trained to maintain a higher metabolism and the diet must continue to keep the effect.
Investigators noted this could be due to an increase in the body’s natural process of metabolizing food for energy following meals. “What we found was that study participants all gained similar amounts of weight regardless of diet composition; however, there was a vast difference in how the body stored the excess calories,” according to lead investigator Elizabeth Frost in a press release. “Those who consumed normal- and high- protein diets stored 45 percent of the excess calories as lean tissue, or muscle mass, while those on the low-protein diet stored 95 percent of the excess calories as fat.”
Thermogenesis and Muscle
These findings were echoed in a study published recently that found excess energy as fat did not increase metabolism, but protein did on a significant level (3). A higher-protein diet works because of both an elevated thermic effect of the food, as well as maintenance of muscle, according to Frost.
Weighing in on the study, Dr. Lee Kaplan, director of the Obesity at the Metabolism and Nutrition Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, said, “The belief that you could change your diet for a finite period of time and reprogram the human body is not a realistic strategy.”
“But this paper…provides important, new information that helps us define the physiologic response of the body to different diets. If it were as simple as shifting to a high-protein diet for a brief period, we would have been a lot more successful in the last 40 years than we have been.”
In summary, increased thermogenesis can only be sustained while on a metabolism-enhancing diet. Once you’re off, the positive effects don’t stay. The Isagenix system, which incorporates higher protein as a percentage of calories, works in a similar capacity. But to see the best results and support a healthy metabolism, staying on Isagenix long term is the best route.
References
- Frost E, Redman L, Bray G. Effect of Dietary Protein Intake on Diet-Induced Thermogenesis During Overfeeding. The Obesity Society 2014; (abstr).
- Bray GA, Smith SR, de Jonge L et al. Effect of dietary protein content on weight gain, energy expenditure, and body composition during overeating: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2012;307:47-55.
- Bray GA, Redman L, de Jonge L et al. Effect of protein overfeeding on energy expenditure measured in a metabolic chamber. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2015;ajcn-091769.
