Mark Berry, head of plant biology and biochemistry at the consumer company Unilever's research and development unit, says there are also positive signs in data from studies of "Palaeolithic" or stone-age diets - plans designed to mimic the diet of pre-agricultural hunter-gatherers of that era.
A sign of its current popularity is that "Paleo diet" was one of the most "Googled" terms of 2013. The idea is based around foods that can be hunted, fished or foraged for - meat, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables.
Berry said his research showed little impact on glucose response in the body in people eating a Palaeolithic diet, but did find a significant impact on hormones that signal satiety and tell the brain the eater is full.
"The high satiety effects of increased protein in the diet seems to be a contributing factor to the success of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets," she said.
Johnstone cited data showing the amount of weight lost on high-protein diets is around double that lost on a comparable low-fat diet at the six-month mark.
But there is little difference in weight loss after one year, as dieters often lose momentum and their resolve to slim down fades. "There's no magic bullet," she said.
Judy Buttriss, head of the British Nutrition Foundation, said the evidence for popular diets was clearly nuanced. While there are several that can be used as tools for effective weight loss and maintenance, she said "there's currently no evidence that one is any better than another in the long term".
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