Does protein make hunger go away?

I think that a protein meal will keep you fuller for longer because it takes longer to digest etc, and it depends what sort of carbs your eating, eating fast releasing carbs will create a bigger insulin response and in turn will clear your blood sugar quicker and leave you hungry again, compared to a slower releasing carb, will leave the science part to Dan and Mark, just thought i'd throw in my two pence worth!

Hi Tim,

I've been following the research on this for over ten years. I first saw a study showing that higher-protein diets decrease body fat better than diets higher in carbs and lower in protein in the late 1990's. Now there is a stack of research to confirm that replacing carbs in the diet with protein increases fat loss. Now we even know why this effect occurs. It turns out that protein decreases appetite and increases metabolic rate when compared to carbs and fat. Higher protein diets have also been proven to help you retain more muscle when on a low-calorie diet.

Here are some studies to take a look at if you're still skeptical...
David S Weigle, Patricia A Breen, Colleen C Matthys, Holly S Callahan, Kaatje E Meeuws, Verna R Burden, and Jonathan Q Purnell. A high-protein diet induces sustained reductions in appetite, ad libitum caloric intake, and body weight despite compensatory changes in diurnal plasma leptin and ghrelin concentrations. Am J Clin
Nutr 2005;82:41– 8.
Johnston, C. S., C. S. Day, and P. D. Swan. Postprandial thermogenesis is increased 100% on a high-protein, low-fat diet versus a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet in healthy, young women. J Am Coll Nutr. 21(1):55-61, 2002.
James W Krieger, Harry S Sitren, Michael J Daniels and Bobbi Langkamp-Henken. Effects of variation in protein and carbohydrate intake on body mass and composition during energy restriction: a meta-regression. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 83(2): 260-74.

One of the most compelling things I've read is that a few years back, the head of the World Health Organization's International Obesity Task Force, Dr Arne Astrup, came out in support of the ability of high-protein diets to decrease hunger, increase metabolic rate and yield better fat loss effects, even when calories weren't decreased...and the World Health Organization aren't exactly a bunch of cowboys!

On the other hand, as Richard says, carbs spike insulin, insulin then clears blood sugar and this is the signal for the body to increase hunger and cravings.

Hi Tim,

I hope this gets to you, could you please ask for that creatine research study question as a new question on fitness inventor? That way the research will be available to everyone.

Thanks