The Best Protein Diet?

A high-protein diet is known to aid weight loss, but a study by Scandinavian researchers gets even more specific about the best type of protein to eat if you want to lean out. Presented in the journal Amino Acids, scientists overfed four groups of mice and gave them each a different protein source. They found that the more taurine and glycine they consumed, the less body fat they added despite being in a caloric surplus.

The groups of mice who ate shellfish (which are rich in taurine and glycine) lost more body fat than those animals who ate chicken or fish. Of the two groups who ate shellfish, the ones fed scallops lost more weight than the group fed crab. Scallops contain more taurine and glycine than crab.