Healthy Weight: Potential Effects of Other Dairy Components
It has been proposed that other bioactive components in milk products, which may act either independently or synergistically with dietary calcium, may also play an important role in energy metabolism.1
These components include:
- Protein composition (casein and whey) and high levels of branched-chain amino acids;
- Other properties of whey protein, such as the presence of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor peptides;
- Vitamin D;
- Carbohydrate quality (as defined by glycemic index).
Proteins
The principal proteins in milk (casein and whey) have also been shown to be involved in satiety and food intake regulation. Branched-chain amino acids and particularly leucine, which is abundant in milk products, may have a positive effect on protein synthesis and maintenance of lean mass.2
Bioactive peptides
Whey contains many bioactive compounds that may act either independently or synergistically to affect:3
- Lipogenesis,
- Lipolysis,
- Lipid oxidation,
- Energy partitioning.
Bioactive peptides in whey protein, which have an inhibitory effect on angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), may be relevant to adipocyte lipid metabolism. Angiotensin II upregulates adipocyte fatty acid synthase expression, and ACE inhibition mildly attenuates obesity in both mice and hypertensive humans.1 The ACE inhibitory effect of milk products may also explain their significant antihypertensive properties, as demonstrated in several studies, including the pivotal DASH diet study.
Vitamin D
The role of vitamin D has become the subject of intense interest. A randomized controlled trial published in 2008 demonstrated that in addition to calcium intake, adequate vitamin D status may enhance fat oxidation and the thermic effect of a meal.4
Carbohydrates and glycemic index
Another potential mechanism by which milk products may modulate weight is through their low glycemic index. A Cochrane Systematic Review concluded that low glycemic index and low glycemic load diets were more effective than high glycemic index or conventional low-fat diets in inducing weight- and fat-mass loss and produced more favourable lipid profiles.5
References
- Zemel MB. The role of dairy foods in weight management. J Am Coll Nutr 2005;24:537S-546S.
- Teegarden D. The influence of dairy product consumption on body composition. J Nutr 2005;135:2749-2752.
- Zemel MB. Role of calcium and dairy products in energy partitioning and weight management. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;79(Suppl):907S-912S.
- Teegarden D et al. Calcium and dairy product modulation of lipid utilization and energy expenditure. Obesity 2008;16(7):1566-72. doi: 10.1038/oby.2008.232
- Thomas DE et al. Low glycaemic index or low glycaemic load diets for overweight and obesity. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007, (3). CD005105. doi: 10.1002/14651858.
Keywords: healthy weight, health studies
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