Once the calories are reduced, the carbohydrates are minimized and the fat is depleted, is there any nutritional value left in a diet? Of course, protein is the only option left in ample supply, but what is the key to losing weight nutritionally?

Since the data on low carbohydrate diets has been compiled, what have we learned? The underlying lesson from the South Beach and Atkins diet is showed the power of protein.

It renders a feeling satiation, and outlasts fat and carbohydrate, longer. Based on the latest publications released by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, limiting a diet to reduced carbohydrates is not the only way to lose weight.

But in the opinions of the lead researcher of the study, Dr. D. Scott Weigle, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, when diets are compared to each other with equivalent amounts of carbohydrates, satiation is enhanced when 30 percent of the intake is protein-based.

In the study, the participants lost weight on a diet of 30 percent protein, 50 percent carbs and 20 percent fat. One segment of the study group was able to eat whatever they wanted as long as they maintained the 30 percent protein intake. They spontaneously dropped their average daily intake by 450 calories, resulting in an average weight loss of 11 pounds in 12 weeks. More recent studies are identifying the positive effects of protein with weight loss.

A review published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, has verified the potency of weight-loss with protein. When high intakes of protein are consumed, it slows the movement of food through the digestive tract. As a result, the sluggish movement of the food represents an expanded span of satiation – allowing for less snacking and caloric intake.