The Study
Lack of effect of high-protein vs. high-carbohydrate meal intake on stress-related mood and eating behavior
This study tested if eating more protein instead of carbs changes how much people snack when they're stressed. It found that for some people who tend to overeat when stressed, protein helped them eat less — but only when they weren't stressed. So it doesn't prove protein stops overeating for everyone.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Eating a high-protein meal can make some people feel less like eating more later — but only if they're not stressed. If they're stressed, even protein can't stop them from wanting more food.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 568 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — for people who struggle to control eating under stress, protein won't help unless they're calm.
- 2Stress overrides even good dietary choices.
- 3In people prone to stress eating, a high-protein meal cut their later food intake by 32% (1.7 MJ vs.
- 42.5 MJ) when relaxed — but not when stressed.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrition Journal
Year
2011
Authors
Sofie G. T. Lemmens, E. Martens, Jurriaan M. Born, M. Martens, M. Westerterp-Plantenga
Related Content
Claims (5)
When healthy adults experience sudden psychological stress, their levels of depression, anxiety, tension, anger, and confusion rise, no matter what they ate before the stress occurred.
Eating a meal reduces the motivation to eat, regardless of whether the meal contains more protein, carbohydrates, or is consumed under stress.
Among people with high disinhibited eating behavior, a meal high in protein and low in carbohydrates reduces how much they want to eat and how much they consume later, but only when they are not under acute psychological stress.
In people with disinhibited eating behavior, acute psychological stress prevents the normal reduction in hunger and food intake that occurs after eating a high-protein meal, regardless of what else is in the meal.
When healthy adults eat high-protein or high-carbohydrate meals with the same calorie content during a stressful situation, their mood, hunger, fullness, and how much they like the food do not change significantly based on the type of meal, their personality traits, or their sex.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.