• The “protein lever” hypothesis was born, according to which people eat too many fats and carbohydrates because they don’t eat enough protein.
• Present in the so-called In the Western diet, highly processed products generally contain little
• So you have to eat more to reach the right level of protein, which increases the daily calorie intake, Australian scientists have found.
• Having too little protein in the diet, we often crave the so-called junk food, and this is the path to obesity.

We eat too much fat and sugar. Why are we doing this?

A study by a team from the University of Sydney has provided further evidence that a highly processed diet is the main cause of the obesity epidemic in the Western world.

However, one particularity of this diet proved to be particularly important, namely the low amount of protein consumed.

Researchers from the University of Sydney explain that in 2005, the “protein lever” hypothesis emerged, according to which people eat too many fats and carbohydrates because they don’t get enough protein. This is because it is the protein that the body has for its greatest appetite.

Protein – as the researchers point out – is the building block of all cells. It is estimated that there are around one million different protein molecules in the human body. As far as food is concerned, its main sources are meat, fish, eggs, milk, soy, legumes and certain cereals.

We eat junk food because our body is craving protein?

Unfortunately, present in the so-called processed foods in the Western diet tend to contain little of it. According to protein leverage theory and a new study, this leads to overconsumption of sugars and fats.

– People are consuming more junk or highly processed foods, diluting their diets with protein and increasing their risk of overweight and obesitywhich, in turn, increase the risk of chronic disease, points out Dr. Amanda Grech, co-author of the article published in the journal Obesity (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oby. 23578).

– It is becoming increasingly clear that our body wants to eat to meet its protein needs. The problem is that there are fewer and fewer of them in the Western diet. So you have to eat more to reach the right level, and this increases the daily dose of energy absorbed – adds prof. David Raubenheimer.

The scientists analyzed information on diet and physical activity observed over a year by more than 9,000 people. Australians have an average age of 46.

On average, respondents took 18.4 percent. calories as protein, 43.5 percent. – carbohydrates, 30.9 percent – fat, 2.2% – fiber and 4.3%. – alcohol.

Highly processed foods for breakfast. It’s not a good idea

The first meal turned out to be particularly important.

People who ate the least protein during the day tended to eat it later in the day. They more often used energy products high in sugar, fat, as well as salt and alcohol. On the other hand, they ate less healthy ingredients, such as vegetables, fruits or dairy products. Overall, their diet was just plain worse.

In contrast, participants who provided their bodies with the right amount of protein at breakfast ate less at subsequent meals. These people also had a much lower calorie intake during the day.

“These findings support an integrated, mechanistic explanation of obesity, where low protein intake and high consumption of processed foods lead to increased energy consumption in response to nutritional imbalances. This is driven by the prevailing demand for protein, comments the professor. Raubenheimer.

This study highlights a central role of protein in the obesity epidemic, significantly affecting the health of the world’s population, he adds.