“Eat a high protein diet for weight loss.”  We’ve heard this advice many times in recent years and now maybe there really is some proof that doing so can be an effective treatment for obesity.

A pilot study from Imperial College in London, has found that the amino acid phenylalanine, a building block of protein, appears to increase levels of the hormone GLP-1 which suppresses appetite while reducing another hormone called ghrelin, which increases hunger.

Studies in the past have consistently shown that when a person eats a high protein diet, it tends to suppress the appetite reducing food intake aiding in decreasing weight gain.  Following a high protein diet can be hard for many people but if it is understood as to why protein has this affect, it could be a weight-loss strategy to apply for weight reduction.

The study used rodents to test the effects of phenylalanine.  This amino acid is considered an essential amino acid meaning the body needs it for health but cannot make it on its own.  It can only come from food sources containing it.  The research team gave 10 mice and rats a single dose of phenylalanine then compared them with rodents that were not given phenylalanine.

The mice and rats given phenylalanine had reduced appetites because levels of the appetite-suppressing hormone GLP-1 were raised while the appetite-inducing hormone ghrelin was lowered.

This research could have a major effect on finding new strategies to tackle the obesity epidemic.  Obesity has become a major public health concern in the United States with about 2 in 3 adults and 1 in 6 children and adolescents who are considered to be obese.  Carrying excess weight puts a person at an increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and some types of cancer.