When people reduce the amount of protein in their diet to 10% of their total calories, they tend to eat more total calories without trying.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (2)
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Dietary protein restriction elevates FGF21 levels and energy requirements to maintain body weight in lean men
When people eat less protein, their bodies seem to crave more food to stay at the same weight, even if they’re not trying to gain weight. This study shows that eating only 10% protein made men naturally eat more calories to keep from losing weight.
Testing Protein Leverage in Lean Humans: A Randomised Controlled Experimental Study
When people ate a diet with only 10% protein, they ended up eating 12% more calories without trying—likely because their bodies kept craving more food to get enough protein. This supports the idea that low-protein diets can make you eat more.
Contradicting (0)
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