Hunger Craving bothering you? Get more protein, British researchers says!

Hunger craving

snippet by PAUL TAYLOR

Many people fail to stick with a weight-loss diet partly because they constantly feel hungry. But a new study suggests eating more protein can actually help dampen the desire to eat.

British researchers found that eating a high-protein meal boosts production of a gut hormone known as PYY that leads to feelings of satiation, according to the study published in Cell Metabolism.

In some respects, the study may partly explain why the Atkins diet helped some people lose weight. But the researchers are quick to point out that their proposed diet is very different from one advanced by Robert Atkins.

"The Atkins diet is primarily a low-carbohydrate diet. As a consequence of reducing carbs, it also tends to have increased protein and increased fat," including potentially harmful saturated fat, said lead researcher Rachel Batterham of University College London.

"The diet we are suggesting would be low-fat, increased protein and still have plenty of carbs," she said in an e-mail interview.

She noted the typical "Western" diet derives 49 per cent of its energy from carbs, 35 per cent from fat and 16 per cent from protein.

"We need to do trials to look at the optimum amount of protein needed, but this may be as little as 20 per cent."

She also pointed out that meat isn't the only source of beneficial protein. "Any type of protein" will trigger the release of the appetite-dampening hormone YYP, she said. "Protein from soy, whey, tofu, nuts is just as effective [as meat]."

But even with more protein, dieters can't escape a law of nutrition. "In order to lose weight, people need to reduce their calorie intake and [or] increase their exercise."

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