Hormonal
A high-protein diet induces weight loss and reduced food intake in rodents primarily through leucine-mediated activation of hypothalamic mTOR and inhibition of AMPK, which shifts neuropeptide expression to favor satiety (increased POMC, decreased NPY).
To leverage the brain's satiety mechanisms, prioritize high-protein diets rich in leucine (found in whey, meat, eggs). This specific nutrient triggers hypothalamic mTOR activation, which suppresses hunger signals (NPY) and boosts satiety signals (POMC), leading to natural reductions in food intake and weight loss without conscious caloric restriction.
Leucine and HPD decrease AMPK and increase mTOR activity in the hypothalamus, leading to inhibition of neuropeptide Y and stimulation of pro-opiomelanocortin expression.
Why this rating
The study is conducted on rodents (rats and mice), not humans, limiting direct translatability to human clinical outcomes without further validation.
Source
A Central Role for Neuronal AMP-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) and Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) in High-Protein Diet–Induced Weight Loss
Eduardo R. Ropelle et al. · Diabetes · 2007
DOI 10.2337/db07-0573
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