Stop pairing your high protein meal with sugary fruit drinks

Jul 24: Been drinking sugar-sweetened drink with a high-protein diet packed with lean meat, chicken, fish and dairy products? Perhaps it is time to stop. Pairing sugary drinks like sweetened fruit juices can cause the body to store more fat, and also adversely affect energy balance.

The combination can also induce cravings for unhealthy junk food, according to a latest study in the paper published in the journal BMC Nutrition.

The study further showed that consuming these sugary drinks can decrease fat oxidation, which is responsible for starting the breakdown of fat molecules by a whopping 8 percent. The said combination can also alter food preferences. It was also found to increase the craving for junk food for about four to five hours after finishing breakfast as well.

Expressing her surprise at the consequence of the combination, lead author Shanon Casperson from USDA-Agricultural Research Service Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Centre in the US said, "We were surprised by the impact that the sugar-sweetened drinks had on metabolism when they were paired with higher-protein meals. This combination also increased study subjects' desire to eat savoury and salty foods for four hours after eating."

The findings revealed that if a sugar-sweetened drink was consumed with a 15 per cent protein meal, fat oxidation decreased by 7.2 g on average, while with an intake of 30 per cent protein meal, fat oxidation reduced by 12.6g on average.

It was further found that while having a sugar-sweetened drink increased the amount of energy used to metabolise the meal,the increased expenditure of energy did not even out the consumption of additional calories from the drink.

The researchers said that about a third of the additional calories provided by the sugar-sweetened drinks were not expended, consequently fat metabolism was reduced, and it took less energy to metabolise the meals. Casperson added, "This decreased metabolic efficiency may 'prime' the body to store more fat."

27 healthy-weight adults (13 male, 14 female), who were on average 23-years old, were recruited by the team to conduct the study. "The results provide further insight into the potential role of sugar-sweetened drinks in weight gain and obesity," Casperson said.