On a Diet? Protein Can Help Reduce Your Hunger!
As a rule, most people in the U.S. get more than enough protein. But older folks and people who are trying to restrict calories may be an exception to the rule. Many seniors experience changes in appetite that may cause them to consume too little protein. The result could be hunger, even though they feel they are eating regular meals, say researchers at Purdue University. And many people who try to cut back on calories may cut back too far on protein and end up feeling hungry and deprived.
Reseachers gave a group of men diets that met their individual calorie needs and differed only in the amount of protein each contained. One diet contained 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight, a second, 0.75 grams per kilogram, and a third, 0.5 gram per kilogram. The men stayed on each of the diets for 18 days. Near the end of each time period, they recorded appetite sensations hourly throughout one day. Ratings of hunger and desire to eat were consistently lower on the high-protein diet than on the lower protein diets. (Apolzan, JW, et al. J Nutr 2007 Jun;137(6):1478-82.) The high protein diet wasn’t outrageously high in protein; it was 20% above the usual recommended amount of 0.8 gm/kilogram of body weight.
For a 140-pound woman, 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight comes to about 64 grams of protein per day. o get that amount, you’d need to eat about 4 ounces of beef, chicken or fish, 2 eggs, a cup of milk, and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter a day. You get the picture.
Dieters take note: Eating protein helps to stabilize blood sugar because it does not stimulate insulin release. Stable, normal blood sugar may mean better appetite control. Try eating some protein at every meal and with snacks–see if it doesn’t help tame your hunger pangs. It could mean the difference between success or frustration.
