High-Protein Meal Replacements For Weight Loss Show No Adverse Effects On Kidneys, Liver

There is no significant difference between protein-enriched and standard protein meal replacements in terms of weight loss, liver function, kidney function or bone density, according to a one-year study by U.S. researchers who tested 100 obese men and women over age 30. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups who ate either a high-protein weight loss meal (2.2g protein/kg of lean body mass per day) or a standard protein (1.1g) meal. After a year, both groups had lost about the same amount of weight on average. The researchers concluded that “protein-enriched meal replacements as compared to standard meal replacements recommended for weight management do not have adverse effects on routine measures of liver function, renal function or bone density at one year.”