Losing weight is not always easy. Given the hectic pace of modern life, people have turned to diets or dubious weight loss schemes. However, meal replacements and diet and exercise offer an alternative, effective solution to weight loss and weight management. The benefits are based on the convenience of meal replacements, their ability to satisfy hunger, and the nutrients your body needs daily.
The Science Behind Meal Replacement Products
There’s nothing magical about meal replacements, and they’re not as bland as food replacements in science fiction may suggest. Today, there are hundreds of ways to prepare meal replacement shakes that taste great and fill you up for hours.
When we talk about the science of meal replacements, I primarily want to discuss three aspects that relate to their efficacy for weight management:
- Protein and Glycemic Index
- Nutrient Density
- Behavioural Changes
Protein and Glycemic Index
Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, which controls hunger for longer than carbohydrates or fats. Getting the right amount of protein to control hunger at every meal daily is key to achieving and maintaining healthy body weight.
Meal replacement shakes also have a low glycemic index. The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food causes blood sugar levels to rise. When you consume foods with a high GI, your blood sugar will spike and then fall sharply, promoting lethargy and hunger.
However, like other foods with a low glycemic index, a meal replacement shake releases sugar into the blood more slowly – providing another way for meal replacements to help control hunger.
When you consume foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and meal replacements with a low glycemic index, your body digests them more slowly than simple carbohydrates and sugar in snack foods.
As a result, there is a slower rise in blood sugar. Protein, which helps to lower the glycemic index, has a proven independent effect on controlling hunger. Getting the right amount of protein is key to the effectiveness of meal replacements. Meal replacements with a low glycemic index can curb appetite despite their lower calories than typical meals.
It’s important to note that a low GI doesn’t necessarily mean a food is high in nutrients. This is why the following concept is so important.
Nutrient Density
Nutrient density refers to the ratio of nutrients to calories in a food. Food with low nutrient density provides lots of calories, fat, and sugar with few essential nutrients. Cookies, cakes, pasta, and sugary soft drinks fall in this category. High nutrient density foods provide lots of nutrients per calorie and include fruits, vegetables, lean meats and fish, and meal replacements.
In other words, nutrient density measures how much nutrition you get per serving or per calorie eaten.
Behavioural Changes
Aside from the above nutritional considerations, meal replacements simplify weight management by allowing you to focus on controlling foods in one or two meals per day. Therefore, the behavioural advantages of a Partial Meal Replacement Diet are as key as the nutritional advantages compared to typical or fad diets.
Evidence Why Meal Replacements Are Effective
In 2018, researchers from the University of Oxford published a systematic review and meta-analysis of meal replacements for weight management. They reviewed 14 studies that compared the effect of weight loss interventions that incorporated meal replacements to those of alternative interventions.
They concluded that meal replacements are superior to the usual diet and calorie restriction.
If you’re looking to achieve and maintain healthy body weight over the long term with a Partial Meal Replacement Diet, it’s essential to pair it with balanced nutrition and a healthy, active lifestyle. Social support also goes a long way, and finding a motivating community to help with your program can be helpful.
