Evidence for a protein leverage effect on food intake but not on body mass index in a Norwegian population
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Objective
In this pre-registered study, we aimed to explore the protein leverage hypothesis in a general population, by studying the relationship between habitual dietary protein intake, total energy intake, and body mass index (BMI), and whether proportion of ultra-processed food (UPF) was associated with any of these variables.
Methods
We used regression-based analyses to investigate these phenomena in cross-sectional data from a Norwegian population-based study, the seventh survey of Tromsø Study 2015-2016, ( n = 11,152; 40-99 years).
Results
Total energy intake was negatively associated with proportion of dietary protein ( L = - 0.36, p < .001) and positively associated with dietary fat ( L = 0.33, p < .001). The relationship between BMI and dietary protein was positive but small ( b = 0.01, p < .001). Proportion of UPFs was positively associated with total energy intake ( b = 554, p < .001), negatively associated with proportion of dietary protein ( b = -2.0, p < .001), and positively associated with BMI ( b = 0.011, p = .026).
Conclusions
In summary, our study of middle-to-older aged Norwegians provides strong support for a protein leverage effect on energy intake but no evidence for an effect of protein leverage on BMI.
