Is it right to eat breakfast? High protein increases satiety and reduces appetite

Good morning, have you had breakfast today? Are you eating right?

Modern people, especially teenagers, are in a hurry to rush to class and do not like or are not used to eating breakfast. Studies have found that this unhealthy eating habit is closely related to weight gain and obesity! Commuters or students who usually skip breakfast tend to have poor food choices or eat casually. For example, they just pick up any snacks they can get (empty calorie, high-fat, high-sugar foods and drinks). Naturally, there is a big gap in nutritional intake compared to people who eat breakfast on time!

Studies have shown that a high-protein breakfast can suppress lunch appetite and reduce calorie intake. So what effect does eating a high-protein or normal-protein breakfast have on the body?

The researchers randomly divided the subjects into "no breakfast group", "high-protein breakfast group" and "normal protein breakfast group". Each subject in the three groups had to undergo the experiment. The experimental period was 7 days each, and there was a 7-day emptying period between each experimental period. Except for the "skipping breakfast group", the other subjects first consumed a breakfast with a fixed configuration of three major nutrients and calories six days before the experiment, as shown in the table below.

On the day of the experiment (Day 7), participants had to stay in the research center for 10 hours, control their diet (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), measure plasma ghrelin and total peptide YY (PYY), complete the appetite and satiety questionnaire (VAS), and undergo fMRI of the brain. After the experiment, the researchers will provide the subjects with a total of 4,000 calories of snacks with nutritional labels as a midnight snack.

Supplementary note: The abbreviations in the above figure and text

BS-no breakfast group

NP-Normal protein breakfast group

HP-High Protein Breakfast Group

This study set breakfast at 350 calories, which accounts for 18% of the daily calorie requirement of a healthy adult.

The difference between the "high-protein breakfast group" and the "normal protein breakfast group" is that the "high-protein breakfast group" contains more solid food intake: eggs and beef, and increases the protein/carbohydrate ratio to provide high-quality protein; both groups provide the same calories and calorie density and the same grams of plant protein and liquid dairy products, dietary fiber and sugar.

The results of the study pointed out:

1. The overall hunger level of the "normal protein breakfast group" and the "high protein breakfast group" decreased by 60%, which was significantly different from the "skipping breakfast group".

2. The "normal protein breakfast group" increased by 10% and the "high protein breakfast group" increased by 30%. The overall satiety was significantly different from the "skipping breakfast group".

3. The appetite of the "normal protein breakfast group" and the "high protein breakfast group" decreased by 30%, which was significantly different from the "skipping breakfast group".

4. The ghrelin level of the "high-protein breakfast group" decreased by 20%, which was significantly different from that of the "skipping breakfast group".

1. The PYY of the "high-protein breakfast group" increased by 250%, which was significantly different from the "skipping breakfast group".

The modern food environment makes it easy for overweight or obese teenagers to obtain foods with high palatability and high energy density. Nearly half of the 1600-2400 kcal daily intake of teenagers comes from snack foods (desserts, candies, potato chips). Skipping breakfast is more likely to increase teenagers' desire to eat snacks, and eating late-night snacks will also increase their intake of more high-fat foods.

The research results show that the impact of a high-protein breakfast is lasting, and after consuming a high-protein breakfast, plasma PYY can maintain a higher value before dinner, and can also regulate food intake through neural signals.

Therefore, the key to the change of consuming a high-protein breakfast (containing 35 g of high-quality beef and egg protein) lies in the first neural signal regulation and the second control of food intake. Overweight/obese girls can increase satiety, reduce motivation to eat, and change their late-night snacking habits by eating a high-protein breakfast every day.

Practical Application:

Try changing your breakfast from the must-drink medium ice milk (210 calories) to medium-sweet soy milk (190 calories), and then to unsweetened soy milk (72 calories). In addition to the difference in calories, such a dietary change also makes a big difference in nutrient intake.

Analyzing the impact of changing eating habits on weight loss

Assuming you are 160cm tall, 65kg, and have a BMI of 25.4, and are a female, the recommended calorie intake for weight loss is 1600 calories per day.

Literature indicates that consuming a high-protein breakfast can increase satiety, delay gastric emptying, and reduce the intake of lunch and snacks throughout the day.

Assuming you had egg toast for breakfast (390 calories)

Combination 1 + medium ice milk (210 calories, fat and sugar) → a total of 600 calories, protein accounts for 8% of the total calories of breakfast.

Combination 2 + medium-sweet soy milk (190 calories, low-fat beans, fish, meat, eggs and sugar) → a total of 580 calories, protein accounts for 15.3% of the total calories of breakfast.

Combination 3 + unsweetened soy milk (72 kcal, low-fat beans, fish, meat, and eggs) → a total of 462 kcal, protein accounts for 19.2% of the total calories of breakfast.

(According to the new version of the daily dietary guidelines, it is recommended that the protein ratio for healthy people is between 10% and 20%)

However, I have found that among many people who have been trying to lose weight, the acceptance of sugar-free soy milk is generally not high. Therefore, if there is no way to reduce the sweetness of the beverage, I usually recommend that people who are not used to sugar-free soy milk change their staple food choices → change white toast to whole wheat toast or multi-grain toast, choose a low GI diet, and reduce blood sugar fluctuations. You can also ask the store to put more lettuce, cucumber, tomato, etc. in your sandwich. A day's plan starts in the morning. Eating a balanced diet can refresh your mind and keep you energetic all day long.