A high-protein breakfast might boost attention and enhance satiety: study

A new study conducted in Denmark examined the relationship between diet and cognition and found that eating a high-protein breakfast improves focus and satiety. This discovery has special importance for nations that are battling rising obesity rates and diseases linked to an unhealthy lifestyle. Although there is no scientific evidence to back the long-held belief that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” this research lends new credence to the proverb.

Over the course of three days, the study followed 30 obese women, ages 18 to 30, who either ate a breakfast high in protein, a breakfast high in carbohydrates, or missed breakfast completely. Along with cognitive focus tests, measurements of satiety, hormone levels, calorie intake at lunch, and total daily energy intake were made.

An associate professor and PhD candidate at the Department of Public Health, Mette Hansen, is one of the study’s authors. “We found that a protein-rich breakfast with skyr (a sour-milk product) and oats increased satiety and concentration in the participants, but it did not reduce the overall energy intake compared to skipping breakfast or eating a carbohydrate-rich breakfast,” Hansen says.

It is critical to investigate nutritional therapies since obesity rates and associated lifestyle-related disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, are rising globally. Breakfast eating has been associated in the past with a lower BMI, and meals high in protein have been shown to increase satiety when compared to their high-fat and carbohydrate-rich equivalents of the same calorie content.

“The results confirm that protein-rich meals increase a sense of satiety, which is positive with regard to preventing weight gain,” Mette Hansen said. “But the solution is not that simple.” But the findings also imply that eating a breakfast high in protein alone may not be sufficient for this dietary approach to be successful.” The observed satiating effects of the trial also demonstrated the potential benefits of switching from a diet high in carbohydrates to one high in protein.

Remarkably, a few individuals found it difficult to complete the high-protein breakfast, suggesting significant variations in the effects of satiety across meals with comparable calorie intake. This finding begs the issue of how calorie intake is affected by the various dietary choices made.

The research has limitations, even if it offers useful information. It focused only on overweight young women and was observational in nature; thus, long-term impacts on weight and health were not addressed. Therefore, further investigation is necessary to fully understand the long-term effects of certain meals.

In order to shed additional light on the complex interaction between nutrition and health, future studies will compare the effects of high-protein vs. low-protein breakfasts on microbiota, cholesterol levels, and body composition.