LONDON, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- British researchers have found that protein consumption releases a natural hormone that helps in weight loss by reducing hunger.
The study by Dr. Rachel L. Batterham and colleagues at the University College London found high-protein foods are better than other foods in releasing the hunger-reducing hormone known as PYY, reports WebMD.
Other studies also indicate that PYY can be part of the solution to obesity. The report said compared with a normal-weight person, an obese person has to eat twice as many calories to trigger PYY.
"We've now found that increasing the protein content of the diet augments the body's own PYY, helping to reduce hunger and aid weight loss," Batterham said.
Batterham said the study is different from the Atkins Diet, in that people on the latter eat a lot of saturated fat as well as a lot of protein.
The findings appear in the September issue of the journal Cell Metabolism.
