With respect to the optimal macronu

With respect to the optimal macronutrient composition
in the daily diet, most international authorities recommend
to increase intakes of carbohydrates at the expense
of fat and protein [1,2]. However, in face of the
worldwide increase in prevalence of both overweight
and obesity, there is a plethora of recommendations for
diets aiming at weight loss and weight management.
Among them, a high-protein (HP) regimen has gained
increasing interest in recent years [3]. For the general
population, recommended dietary reference intakes (DRIs)
for protein are 0.66 g * kg body weight-1 * d-1 [4]. Actual
consumption data for the US American population
average 1.3 g * kg body weight-1 * d-1 in the 19–30 age
group indicating a protein intake in excess of their needs
[5]. The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range
(AMDR) for protein is given as 5-35% of daily calories depending
on age [6]. A recent meta-analysis comparing HP
vs. low-protein (LP) diets with a duration between 28 days
and 12 months observed favorable effects of HP diets on
biomarkers of obesity as well as cardiovascular risk factors
such as HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), triacylglycerols (TG),
and blood pressure [7]. Several randomized controlled trials
(RCTs) investigated the short-term effects of HP vs. LP
diets, reporting advantages of HP protocols including a
reduction in TG concentration [8-10]. A meta-regression
of 87 studies concluded that low-carbohydrate, HP diets favorably
affected body mass and composition independent
of energy intake [11]. The benefits of HP diets might be