WHAT IS THE OPTIMAL PROTEIN INTAKE FOR APPETITE SUPPRESSION?

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WHAT IS THE OPTIMAL PROTEIN INTAKE FOR APPETITE SUPPRESSION SUMMARY

• The optimal protein intake for appetite suppression is roughly 1 gram of protein does not seem to have further appetite-reducing effects.
• Protein is one of the best natural appetite-suppressant foods for weight loss. Protein has many beneficial effects for improving body composition, but consuming over 1 gram does not seem to have further appetite-reducing effects.
• Protein has many beneficial effects when dieting, but consuming more protein will not reduce appetite.
• Lean beef and whey protein act like natural appetite suppressants

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OPTIMAL PROTEIN INTAKE FOR APPETITE SUPPRESSION

Protein and high-fiber foods are the best appetite suppressants you can take to feel fuller. There are even diet whey protein powders which have various ingredients combined to enhance metabolism; however, studies have yet to prove these to be more effective than whey protein alone. As we all know, more protein in the diet is a natural appetite suppressant food for weight loss that is associated with greater satiety and can play a role in weight loss and reducing caloric intake.

Appetite suppressants work by making one feel full, reducing calorie intake, and enhancing the body’s ability to lose weight. Studies show that protein is important for appetite control, but beyond a certain threshold, consuming more protein will not result in additional appetite suppression or promote weight loss.

NATURAL APPETITE SUPPRESSANT FOODS

The Protein Leverage Hypothesis has suggested that the increase in obesity is related to low-protein diets. The hypothesis suggests that low-protein diets result in the overconsumption of carbohydrates and fats. Many fitness websites may talk about protein leverage, but the research suggests you need to consume a very low-protein diet for this to occur. Scientists have yet to discover if it is a single amino acid or a combination of amino acids that drives hunger.

Several studies have suggested that protein leverage is stronger in humans on low-protein diets (between 10% and 15%) than on diets greater than > 15% protein.(1) One study had subjects consume diets with 10%, 15%, or 25% protein. The subjects in the low protein diet consumed roughly 12% more calories than the 15% and 25% protein group, mainly thru snack foods.(2)

So eating a low-protein diet will increase appetite. Eating protein above 15% seems critically important for appetite suppression; however, this does not suggest that a protein deficiency is causing obesity.

Kevin Hall states that despite consistent protein intake, obesity has risen.(3) While protein is vital for fat loss and muscle gain, there’s a misconception that consuming over 1 gram per pound of body weight enhances appetite suppression. Research indicates a specific threshold for protein’s effect on appetite.

THE PROTEIN THRESHOLD: 1 GRAM PER POUND OF BODYWEIGHT

Research suggests that although it’s not harmful to consume more protein and does not contribute to kidney disease in healthy patients, the appetite-suppressing effects of protein seem to stop after intakes above 1.8 g/kg/day (the amount of protein equal to .8 grams per pound of bodyweight). Although this was only a seven-day study, researchers assigned subjects to a moderate (1.8 g/kg/day) or a high protein diet (2.9 g/kg/day or 1.3 grams per pound of body weight) in conjunction with a 20% caloric restriction.

After that, they were allowed an unrestricted phase of carbs and fats but kept protein intakes constant. The appetite scores were similar between the moderate and high protein groups, suggesting that appetite suppression will not be further increased above a certain threshold.

Protein has many other beneficial effects besides appetite suppression, but there is no dose-dependent effect on appetite with protein. The research study also showed that during moderate protein consumption, increasing protein levels led to a reduction in cravings.(4) Your habitual protein intake greatly impacts your appetite. Subjects consuming a low-protein diet and given a high-protein meal have much larger reductions in appetite than those already consuming a high-protein diet.

STUDIES ON THE  OPTIMAL PROTEIN INTAKE FOR APPETITE SUPPRESSION

A 2020 study found that protein reduces appetite by lowering the hunger hormone ghrelin and increasing satiety hormones CCK and GLP-1. However, no long-term hunger-reducing effects were observed with high-protein diets. Many athletes consume excessive protein for its appetite-suppressing effects, potentially neglecting other beneficial macronutrients (5).

KEY POINTS

• Protein has many beneficial effects when dieting, but consuming more protein will not reduce appetite.
• Lean beef and whey protein act like natural appetite suppressants.

REFERENCES

1.         Gosby AK, Conigrave AD, Raubenheimer D, Simpson SJ. Protein leverage and energy intake. Obes Rev. 2014;15(3):183-91.

2.         Gosby AK, Conigrave AD, Lau NS, Iglesias MA, Hall RM, Jebb SA, et al. Testing protein leverage in lean humans: a randomised controlled experimental study. PLoS One. 2011;6(10):e25929.

3.         Hall KD. Did the Food Environment Cause the Obesity Epidemic? Obesity (Silver Spring). 2018;26(1):11-3.

4.         Roberts J, Zinchenko A, Mahbubani K, Johnstone J, Smith L, Merzbach V, et al. Satiating Effect of High Protein Diets on Resistance-Trained Subjects in Energy Deficit. Nutrients. 2018;11(1):56.

5. Kohanmoo, A., Faghih, S., & Akhlaghi, M. (2020). Effect of short- and long-term protein consumption on appetite and appetite-regulating gastrointestinal hormones, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Physiology & behavior, 226, 113123.

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