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Is protein truly more satiating?

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Replies

  • Sunshine_And_Sand
    Sunshine_And_Sand Posts: 1,320 Member
    For me, I find increasing protein does not help me stay full.
    Years ago, DH wanted us both to try increasing protein while we were training for the warrior dash. Snacks were always protein shakes. I found the taste when mixed with water to be... not the best and mixed with milk the calories were more than I wanted to use on a snack for someone my size. As far as staying full, a serving of dry frosted mini wheats is a lot more filling for a lot longer in comparison to a protein shake, probably due to all the fiber. He was also wanting to have bacon and eggs for breakfast almost every day. Not my favorite thing to eat for breakfast, but I played along. I didn't find it nearly as filling as my now typical breakfast of 40grams oats cooked and add 28grams cheddar and melt/mix in with the oats. I know there is some protein in the oats and cheese but not as much as the bacon and eggs. Maybe it's the combo of carbs/fiber and fats in my cheesie oatmeal that helps me stay full longer. I just stick with what works.
    My diet naturally hits pretty close to the MFP defaults for macros without trying, so for me the idea of increased protein only helping when you are protein deficient seems to make sense.
  • lkpducky
    lkpducky Posts: 16,636 Member
    I remember used to be on a strict low carb diet years ago, and I was very dedicated, and really stuck to it. I lost 30 pounds pretty darn quick. My go to every morning was this restaurant that was close to the company I worked for. We would walk next door every AM and get a loaded omelet (the works!). It has eggs, cheese, bacon, sausage, onion, bell peppers, spinach, touch of salsa. It was huge! It was yummy! It was so filling! I could go for hours way past lunch into the early afternoon before I started getting hungry. Nothing else really does it for me in the AM. This was a nice reminder to try that again.

    So, for me, definitely, I am definitely more satisfied and feelll fuller longer with protein. If I eat carby/sugary stuff, I want more. Give me a bagel and cream chees toasted, and oh, I want another. Give me a loaded omelet (less calories I'm pretty sure), and I'm good to go.

    Was it the protein or the protein-fat combo that did it? the loaded omelet had plenty of both.
    Would a plain dry broiled chicken breast, say, leave you as satisfied?
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    Since our bodies can make glucose and our bodies can make fat, with protein as the only macronutrient we can't make, it is logical to think our bodies will be satisfied with a large protein consumption; and less satisfied with carbs and fat (like a kid unwrapping the 3rd identical toy for a birthday is not at all impressed).

    But many of us will likely attest that logical conclusions have little effect on actual satisfaction. Example: I went to a BBQ place yesterday with the intent that I would eat an amount that would fill me up. I don't eat plants, but could buy meat by the pound. So I started with 1 lb. of beef brisket and 1/2 lb. of shredded smoked pork. Still hungry, I got a 1/2 lb. of eye of round beef and a smoked hot roll / sausage (sold per each, and probably .3 lbs. by my estimate). I could have eaten more, but decided to just stop with the roughly 2.3 lbs. of food for $ and time reasons. Back when I ate plants, I know in that same time that I could have eaten about 3-5 times as many calories with carb-heavy foods and probably left with just as much or more appetite remaining. But that is my experience and I'm sure some here will say they consume 3-5 times less when eating carb-heavy food vs. protein and/or fat-heavy food.
  • amorfati601070
    amorfati601070 Posts: 2,854 Member
    Fiber, defintely.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    I have never heard protein called "satiating"...I have heard fat called that but not protein.

    Protein due to it's make up takes longer to digest than carbs. Helps keep you feeling fuller longer.
  • Kalex1975
    Kalex1975 Posts: 427 Member
    Examine.com published an article recently, "5 little-known facts about protein", which includes the following...
    Protein increases satiety more than carbohydrate and fat do, by increasing thermogenesis and through the direct effect of its constituent amino acids (notably leucine) on the brain.

    Lot's more details in the article. Seems pertinent to this discussion so am sharing...
  • smoofinator
    smoofinator Posts: 635 Member
    Probably going to get wooed, but... Different strokes for different folks. I tend to stay fuller longer by eating higher carbs. Maybe I'm just kidding myself, but it seems to work for me so, I'd say it's a person-to-person kind of thing.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    "Yet outside the lab in free-living prospective studies, the consumption of high protein foods is not consistently associated with fat loss [2]."

    This next article is about those kind of studies: http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2019/06/white-meat-as-bad-as-red-meat-for-cholesterol/

    Cutting to the nut: The so-called 'study' of free-living food choices are not worth a cup of spit.
  • magnusthenerd
    magnusthenerd Posts: 1,207 Member
    I feel like a number of people have missed the link that was the start of this thread.
    In it, Menno gives an hypothesis based on the research on protein and satiety so far: that protein is highly satiating in a narrow dietary percentage. Once it goes over that percentage, it becomes the least satiating, and that other characteristics beyond macronutrients matter for food satiety predictions.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    I feel like a number of people have missed the link that was the start of this thread.
    In it, Menno gives an hypothesis based on the research on protein and satiety so far: that protein is highly satiating in a narrow dietary percentage. Once it goes over that percentage, it becomes the least satiating, and that other characteristics beyond macronutrients matter for food satiety predictions.

    I understand. His conclusions may be compelling, but his data are not repeatable.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    Worth looking at (discussed by Menno in the linked piece): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21139559
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    I feel like a number of people have missed the link that was the start of this thread.
    In it, Menno gives an hypothesis based on the research on protein and satiety so far: that protein is highly satiating in a narrow dietary percentage. Once it goes over that percentage, it becomes the least satiating, and that other characteristics beyond macronutrients matter for food satiety predictions.

    I understand. His conclusions may be compelling, but his data are not repeatable.

    To what are you referring when you say his data is not repeatable?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Is it because protein too raises insulin, and for some folks leads to low blood sugar - feeling hungrier later?

    Or the fact if more than needed and converted to glucose raises insulin also, same effect?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,721 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Worth looking at (discussed by Menno in the linked piece): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21139559

    Admittedly, I read only the abstract, not full text.

    I see there that they controlled for "lifestyle factors" but wonder how one would control for the potential that being able to afford higher levels of meat protein correlates with being able to afford and indulge "better" (richer) foods generally?

    Since that's an issue of personal priorities and discretionary income at the margin, not simply total income, it's hard to see how one would account for that possibility in a meta.

    OTOH, I've read other things correlating financial comfort with lower body weight . . . .
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    I feel like a number of people have missed the link that was the start of this thread.
    In it, Menno gives an hypothesis based on the research on protein and satiety so far: that protein is highly satiating in a narrow dietary percentage. Once it goes over that percentage, it becomes the least satiating, and that other characteristics beyond macronutrients matter for food satiety predictions.

    I understand. His conclusions may be compelling, but his data are not repeatable.

    To what are you referring when you say his data is not repeatable?

    See my earlier comment. The first quoted sentence is from the OP linked article. I had read the second article earlier today and the topic was on my mind.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Worth looking at (discussed by Menno in the linked piece): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21139559

    Admittedly, I read only the abstract, not full text.

    I see there that they controlled for "lifestyle factors" but wonder how one would control for the potential that being able to afford higher levels of meat protein correlates with being able to afford and indulge "better" (richer) foods generally?

    Since that's an issue of personal priorities and discretionary income at the margin, not simply total income, it's hard to see how one would account for that possibility in a meta.

    OTOH, I've read other things correlating financial comfort with lower body weight . . . .

    I think they are debunking the idea that merely eating higher amounts of protein will cause a lower body fat level, not really examining causation or claiming that eating LESS protein would have positive effects.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    edited June 2019
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    I feel like a number of people have missed the link that was the start of this thread.
    In it, Menno gives an hypothesis based on the research on protein and satiety so far: that protein is highly satiating in a narrow dietary percentage. Once it goes over that percentage, it becomes the least satiating, and that other characteristics beyond macronutrients matter for food satiety predictions.

    I understand. His conclusions may be compelling, but his data are not repeatable.

    To what are you referring when you say his data is not repeatable?

    See my earlier comment. The first quoted sentence is from the OP linked article. I had read the second article earlier today and the topic was on my mind.

    The one with the linked Zoe Harcombe piece? It didn't seem to have anything to do with the original article.

    Re: "Yet outside the lab in free-living prospective studies, the consumption of high protein foods is not consistently associated with fat loss [2]." supposedly not being worth anything, for the average person not counting calories, "outside the lab in free-living" is useful information to consider when it comes to possible interventions that might lead to eating fewer cals.