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