It sounds like French scientists have hit upon a groundbreaking discovery — they think they may have a plausible explanation for why high-protein diets like Atkins work.
Indeed, a team from the French national research institute INSERM discovered that a high-protein diet triggers glucose production in the small intestine of rats, FoodNavigator.com/Europe reports. This, in turn, induces feelings of satiety, making the animals less inclined to eat.
The fascinating new study, published in Cell Metabolism (issue 2, vol 5, pp. 321-9), found that when rats were fed a high-protein diet, they significantly increased the activity of genes involved in glucose production in their small intestines.
This, then, led to increased protein production, which the liver sensed, relaying that information to the brain, causing the animals to reduce food intake.
"Intestinal gluconeogenesis (ie de novo synthesis of glucose) is induced during the postabsorptive time (following food digestion) in rats specifically fed on protein-enriched diet," write the French researchers.
Well, clearly, the proponents of low-carb, protein-rich diets will have a field day with these discoveries, showing that new research backs their claims!
Again, remember, these low-carb, high-protein diets suggeset bumping inferior carbs like sweets and white bread and stress quality carbs like veggies, nuts, seeds, some fruits and whole grains.