Intermittent Energy Restriction Combined with a High-Protein/Low-Protein Diet: Effects on Body Weight, Satiety, and Inflammation: A Pilot Study

Intermittent energy restricted (IER) diets have become popular as a body weight management approach. In this pilot study, we investigated if an IER diet would reduce systemic inflammation and if maintaining an elevated protein level while on an IER diet would enhance satiety. Six healthy women, aged 33–55 years with a BMI of 27–33 kg/m2, were randomized to first adhere to either a low- or high-protein IER diet using whole foods for three weeks. They then returned to their regular diets for a week, after which they adhered to the second diet for three weeks. Each test diet consisted of three low-energy intake days followed by four isocaloric energy intake days. The diets differed only in protein content. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), glucose, satiety, body weight, and waist circumference were measured at the beginning and end of each dietary intervention. Most participants showed reductions in hs-CRP levels from baseline on both IER diets but reported greater satiety when adhering to the higher protein IER diet. Overall, the IER diets reduced body weight and appeared to decrease inflammation in these overweight women, and the higher protein version enhanced satiety, which may lead to greater long-term dietary adherence.