Research

Hormonal

Dietary proteins regulate gastrointestinal physiology and metabolic functions (including food intake, gastric emptying, and hormone release) through source-specific interactions with the GI tract, distinct from their role as amino acid sources.

When choosing protein sources, recognize that they do more than just build muscle. Different proteins (like casein vs. whey) digest at different rates and trigger different satiety hormones. This means the source of your protein affects your hunger and metabolic response, not just your amino acid intake.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The interaction of dietary proteins and their products of digestion with the regulatory functions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract plays a dominant role in determining the physiological properties of proteins.
Alireza Jahan-Mihan et al. · Nutrients · 2011

Why this rating

This is a comprehensive review paper citing numerous primary studies across multiple protein sources and mechanisms.

Source

Dietary Proteins as Determinants of Metabolic and Physiologic Functions of the Gastrointestinal Tract

Alireza Jahan-Mihan et al. · Nutrients · 2011

DOI 10.3390/nu3050574

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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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