Hungry all the time? It may be what you’re eating – or not eating. According to a new study published in the journal Obesity, eating a higher protein diet and adding a source of protein to every meal helps to control appetite.
To look at the effects of a diet containing more protein on appetite, researchers gave obese men a diet consisting of either 14% or 25% protein while keeping total calories and fat calorie percentage the same between the two groups. The results? The men who ate the higher protein diet felt more satisfied during the day and had better appetite control that extended into the late evening and early morning.
This study supports previous research showing that a diet containing higher amounts of protein helps with appetite control. Another recent study published in Nutrition Research showed that a higher-protein diet and eating eggs for breakfast reduced food intake in a group of participants later in the day.
Why is protein so effective for appetite control? According to research from the University of Ohio, it may have to do with the action of an enzyme called mTOR found in the hypothalamus of the brain. When researchers injected the amino acid leucine directly into the hypothalamus of rats, the rodents ate less food over the following 24 hours.
When the rats were offered food after 24 hours, they gained less weight than rats that didn’t get the leucine injection. There suggests that there’s a pathway in the hypothalamus in the brain that controls appetite. When there’s plenty of amino acids around, appetite is suppressed since the brain senses an adequate fuel supply. This theory has yet to be proven in humans, but protein doesn’t seem to reduce appetite by directly affecting the major appetite hormones leptin and ghrelin.
Regardless of how protein suppresses appetite, nutritionists and dieticians have recognized for years that their clients who eat protein at every meal are less likely to overeat. Eating a high-protein diet has other benefits as well. In a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, overweight women who ate a diet containing a higher ratio of protein to carbs had greater weight loss and improvements in their blood glucose and lipid levels. They also lost a higher ratio of fat to muscle loss compared to women who ate a diet with a higher ratio of carbs, suggesting that a higher protein diet preserves lean body mass during weight loss. Protein also helps to reduce the spike in insulin level that occurs after a carb-containing meal.
Is it time to increase the amount of protein in your diet? There are questions as to whether very high protein diets could be harmful because they stress the kidneys, but you don’t need to take it to the extreme to get the benefits. Start the day with a breakfast that contains eggs. And eat moderate amounts of lean protein at every meal. This can go a long way towards controlling your appetite and reducing cravings. Give it a try.
References:
New Scientist. “Why High-Protein Meat May Curb Appetite”
Medical News Today. “Improved Appetite Control and Satiety With Higher-Protein Diets”
Medscape.com. “High-Protein Diet Enhances Weight Loss”
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