High Protein Breakfast Increases Satiety

A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that a high protein breakfast has beneficial effects on satiety.

The study included 20 obese women, who were on average 19 years-old. The study was divided into three six-day phases, which involved skipping breakfast, eating a high protein breakfast or eating a low protein breakfast. Each participant completed all three phases. After each phase, researchers tested for appetite and satiety by questionnaires, blood tests, brain scans and monitoring food intake.

Eating breakfast led to a greater feeling of fullness for the day than skipping breakfast. Brain scans showed that eating breakfast also reduced food cravings before dinner, compared to skipping breakfast.

The high protein breakfast showed additional benefits over the low protein breakfast. Consuming a high protein breakfast reduced levels of appetite-stimulating hormones called ghrelin and peptide YY, compared to skipping breakfast. Furthermore, the high protein breakfast reduced snacking on high fat foods later in the evening.

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References

1. Leidy HJ, Ortinau LC, Douglas SM et al. Beneficial effects of a higher-protein breakfast on the appetitive, hormonal, and neural signals controlling energy intake regulation in overweight/obese, "breakfast-skipping," late-adolescent girls. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Feb 27. 
   
2. Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine.