Overweight women who eat 124 grams of protein per day while on a 1250-calorie diet experience lower hunger, less desire to eat, reduced thoughts about future food intake, and fewer cravings for fast...

Pro

Against

Mechanism

Synthesis from 1 study

How it works

More protein in the diet raises amino acid levels in the blood, which tells the gut to send fullness signals to the brain. The brain then reduces hunger and stops wanting to eat, especially unhealthy foods. This happens every time protein is digested, regardless of dieting.

Most probable mechanism

In Simple Terms

Eating more protein raises the level of amino acids in the blood, which triggers the gut to release hormones that signal the brain to reduce hunger and food cravings. This makes the person feel full longer and less likely to want to eat, especially high-calorie foods.

Causal chain

Dietary protein digestion releases amino acids into the bloodstream, increasing plasma concentrations of leucine, glutamate, and other satiety-inducing amino acids

Supported by evidence

which leads to

Elevated plasma amino acids stimulate enteroendocrine cells in the small intestine to secrete cholecystokinin, glucagon-like peptide-1, and peptide YY

Supported by evidence

which leads to

These gut hormones activate vagal afferents and cross the blood-brain barrier to bind receptors in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus

Supported by evidence

which leads to

Hypothalamic neurons reduce orexigenic neuropeptide Y and agouti-related peptide signaling while increasing anorexigenic pro-opiomelanocortin and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript activity

Supported by evidence

which leads to

This neural shift suppresses subjective hunger, desire to eat, prospective food consumption, and cravings for high-fat, high-sugar foods such as fast food

Supported by evidence

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Community contributions welcome

Increased Protein Consumption during the Day from an Energy-Restricted Diet Augments Satiety but Does Not Reduce Daily Fat or Carbohydrate Intake on a Free-Living Test Day in Overweight Women.

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2017 Dec

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Increased Protein Consumption during the Day from an Energy-Restricted Diet Augments Satiety but Does Not Reduce Daily Fat or Carbohydrate Intake on a Free-Living Test Day in Overweight Women.

Score: 68

DOI: 10.3945/jn.117.255554

Similar Assertions

In overweight women eating a 1250 kcal/day diet, increasing protein intake from 48 grams to 124 grams per day reduces hunger, desire to eat, prospective food consumption, and fast-food cravings, while increasing feelings of fullness, but does not change how much fat- and carbohydrate-rich food they eat afterward.

91%

In overweight women on a 1250 kcal/day diet, eating 124 grams of protein per day does not lead to lower overall calorie intake when they are allowed to eat freely afterward, even though they report feeling fuller and having fewer food cravings.

89%

In overweight women eating fewer calories, increasing daily protein intake from 48 grams to 124 grams does not change how much fat and carbohydrate-rich food they eat later, even though they report feeling fuller and having fewer food cravings.

86%

When lean adults reduce their protein intake from 15% to 10% of their daily calories, they tend to eat about 12% more calories over four days, mostly by snacking more on savory foods, suggesting that lower protein levels may lead to increased overall food consumption.

77%

Meals with more protein tend to make people eat less at their next meal.

77%