High-protein diet promotes a moderate postpartum weight loss in a prospective cohort of Brazilian women

Abstract

Objective Whether a high-protein (HP) diet promotes body weight loss (BWL) when compared with a low-protein (LP) diet is still unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of an HP diet on BWL during postpartum. Methods A food-frequency questionnaire with 81 items was applied at 6 mo after delivery to evaluate the diet of 430 postpartum women aged 18–45 y. Body weight was measured approximately at 0.5, 2, 6, and 9 mo after delivery. Body weight loss was modeled by comparing an HP diet (≥1.2 g · kg −1 · d −1) with an LP diet (<1.2 g · kg −1 · d −1) using mixed-effects linear regression models adjusted for energy intake, percentage of body fat at baseline, stature, age, race, smoking, and schooling. Results Usual energy intake was higher in the HP than in the LP diet group (2623 versus 1791 kcal, P < 0.0001). Daily mean protein intakes were 1.54 ± 0.32 g · kg −1 · d −1 for the HP group and 0.83 ± 0.20 g · kg −1 · d −1 for the LP group. A multivariate model showed that women in the HP group lost 316 ± 0.062 g of body weight more per month ( P < 0.01) when compared with the LP group. Conclusion A reported higher protein intake may improve moderate postpartum body weight loss. Further studies should evaluate the long-term consequences of an HP diet postpartum.