A study published in Obesity shows that consuming a high-protein breakfast (containing 35 g of protein) may prevent body fat gain, reduce daily food intake and feelings of hunger, and stabilize glucose levels among overweight teens who would normally skip breakfast.
The researchers fed two groups of overweight teens who reported skipping breakfast between five and seven times a week either normal-protein breakfast meals or high-protein breakfast meals. A third group of teens continued to skip breakfast for 12 weeks. The normal-protein breakfast meal was milk and cereal and contained 13 g of protein. The high-protein breakfast meals included eggs, dairy, and lean pork that contained 35 g of protein.
Participants in the groups were instructed to report feelings of hunger and their daily intakes of food and beverages. Their body weight and body composition were measured at the beginning and end of the 12-week period. In addition, the participants wore a device that assessed minute-to-minute glucose levels throughout the day.
The researchers found that the group of teens who ate high-protein breakfasts reduced their daily food intake by 400 calories and lost body fat mass, while the groups who ate normal-protein breakfast or continued to skip breakfast gained additional body fat. When individuals ate a high-protein breakfast, they voluntarily consumed less food the rest of the day. In addition, teens who ate high-protein breakfast had more stable glucose levels than the other groups.
