High Protein Breakfast Can Reduce Obesity in Teenagers

A number of studies investigating the effect that skipping breakfast has on teenagers have found that high protein breakfasts can reduce food cravings and help overweight young people control their weight.

The study compared teenagers eating breakfast consisting of low protein content (cereal and milk) , teenagers eating high protein breakfast(eggs or lean meat) and those skipping breakfast all together.

The most significant effects came from those eating a high protein breakfast. The researchers noticed alterations in both food cravings and the level of homovanillic acid which is a measure of dopamine production. (Dopamine plays a major role in reward- related behaviour.)

The Studies concluded that a daily high protein breakfast may help reduce obesity in overweight young people.

Marcelle Rose

A randomized crossover, pilot study examining the effects of a normal protein vs. High protein breakfast on food cravings and reward signals in overweight/obese “breakfast skipping”, late adolescent girls. Hoertel HA, Will MJ, Leidy HJ. Nutr J. 2014 Aug 6;13:80 Epub 2014 Aug 6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25098557

A pilot study examining the effects of consuming a high-protein vs. normal-protein breakfast on free-living glycemic control in overweight/obese 'breakfast skipping' adolescents.Bauer LB, Reynolds LJ, Douglas SM, Kearney ML, Hoertel HA, Shafer RS, Thyfault JP, Leidy HJ.Int J Obes (Lond). 2015 Sep; 39(9):1421-4. Epub 2015 Jun 1.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26028058

Beneficial effects of a higher-protein breakfast on the appetitive, hormonal, and neural signals controlling energy intake regulation in overweight/obese, "breakfast-skipping," late-adolescent girls.Leidy HJ, Ortinau LC, Douglas SM, Hoertel HA.Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Apr; 97(4):677-88. Epub 2013 Feb 27 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23446906