It’s not just your tightening waistband that lets you know that you’re full after a big meal. Researchers have identified specific signals that travel from your belly to your brain to generate feelings of satiety – effectively curbing your appetite – after eating a protein-rich meal.
The discovery, reported online in the journal Cell, could point the way to future obesity treatments and prevention strategies.
"These findings explain the satiety effect of dietary protein, which is a long-known but unexplained phenomenon," said researcher Dr. Gilles Mithieux of the Université de Lyon, in France.
"They provide a novel understanding of the control of food intake and of hunger sensations, which may offer novel approaches to treat obesity in the future."
In laboratory studies of mice that have significant implications for humans, the French researchers noted certain foods signal nerves found in the walls of major blood vessel in the gut.
Peptides – products of digested dietary proteins – effectively curb appetite by sending signals to the brain that stimulate the intestines to release glucose, which suppresses the desire to eat.