The Wall Street Journal reported on 11-1-14 on research about the benefits of a high protein breakfast. The article, “Rise, Shine and Eat Protein”, reviews the research about breakfast, including, “Skipping breakfast has long been associated with excess body weight, although scientists haven’t established a causal link.” The article goes on to describe recent research from the University of Missouri, which dins that “eating a high-protein breakfast is particularly effective at reducing food cravings and boosting dopamine, a brain chemical usually associated with feelings of reward.”
The article goes on to note, “The study was a small one, but if the findings hold up they imply that a breakfast rich in protein may aid in weight control.” The study, while, small, appears to be very well designed. It compared 3 “treatments” no breakfast, normal breakfast and high protein breakfast. The outcomes are striking: “compared with the normal breakfast, “the high-protein meal led to a 34-fold reduction in cravings for high fat foods and a 15-fold increase in dopamine.” The high-protein effect was even greater compared with no breakfast.” Also, a previous study by the same research group found that, “a high-protein breakfast led to reductions in unhealthy evening snacking”, and noted that, ” in the past 50 years, breakfast-eating in this country has fallen even as obesity has increased.”
The full article is available online for free.