In healthy women, consuming a 3-gram leucine peptide supplement does not reduce hunger or desire to eat more than a control bar, even though it raises blood leucine levels more than a 2-gram dose,...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
After eating leucine, the gut releases a hormone that tells the brain to stop feeling hungry. But once enough leucine is present, the gut stops releasing more of that hormone, so eating more leucine doesn’t make you any less hungry.
Most probable mechanism
When leucine enters the bloodstream after eating, it triggers cells in the gut to release a hormone that tells the brain to reduce hunger. But after a certain amount of leucine, the gut stops responding more, so more leucine doesn’t make you feel any less hungry.
Leucine is absorbed from the digestive tract into the bloodstream, increasing plasma concentration in a dose-dependent manner
Elevated plasma leucine activates nutrient-sensing receptors on enteroendocrine L-cells in the intestinal lining, stimulating secretion of peptide YY
Peptide YY circulates to the hypothalamus and brainstem, binding to Y2 receptors to suppress activity of neurons that drive hunger and food-seeking behavior
Beyond a threshold plasma leucine concentration, L-cell responsiveness plateaus, preventing further increases in peptide YY secretion and satiety signaling
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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Consuming Lower-Protein Nutrition Bars with Added Leucine Elicits Postprandial Changes in Appetite Sensations in Healthy Women.
Contradicting (0)
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Gold Standard Evidence Needed
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