Why are protein-rich diets satiating?
A team of French scientists have identified the set of molecular signals that connect the intestine and brain and generate the feeling of satiety that makes us stop eating, and have found that protein foods are a key part of the mechanism. The results of this research are published in the journal Cell.
During digestion, foods are transformed into simpler substances to be absorbed and the process of gluconeogenesis, that is, the formation of glucose, the gasoline of the cells. "This is captured by receptors of glucose from the portal vein, near the intestine, which sends a signal to the brain that makes the sensation of hunger disappear", explain the authors of this work, echoed by the agency SINC. After a meal rich in proteins, the molecules derived from its digestion are released into the bloodstream and inhibit the mu opioid receptors that are on the walls of the portal vein.
This is how satiety is generated after a protein diet, rich in red and white meat, fish, eggs and some vegetables. "Until now it was not known that the mu opioid receptors (MORs) of the nervous system of the intestine and the portal vein were those who regulated the sensation of hunger", says Gilles Mithieux, a researcher at the University of Lyon and coauthor of the work. Researchers hope their work will help improve the treatment of obesity in the not too distant future.
