Varying the protein source in mixed meal modifies glucose, insulin and glucagon kinetics in healthy men, has weak effects on subjective satiety and fails to affect food intake.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of three dietary protein types (casein, gelatin, soy protein) on satiety and food intake, at two levels of loading (total energy of test meals: 3.6 or 1.8 MJ).

Design: The study employed a repeated measures design. Test meals were controlled for energy, macronutrients, fiber and palatability, and contained about 23% energy as protein (of which about 65% was experimentally manipulated). Postprandial subjective satiety and hunger, plasma glucose, insulin and glucagon were assessed for 8 h, and energy and macronutrient intakes were monitored for 24 h.

Subjects: Nine healthy normal-weight men.

Results: No effect of the type of protein on 24 h energy and macronutrient intakes was observed despite a significant effect of protein source on the kinetics of peripheral metabolic responses (but only after 3.6 MJ lunches), and inconsistent effects on subjective hunger and satiety responses A casein-enriched lunch delayed glucose and insulin responses for 1.5 h, compared with soy protein, probably due to a lag in gastric emptying.

Conclusion: Varying the protein source in a mixed meal modifies glucose, insulin and glucagon kinetics in healthy men, but these variations in satiety-implicated factors have inconsistent effects on subjective satiety and fail to affect food intake.

Sponsorship: Eridania Béghin-Say, Vilvoorde, Belgium and Association Nationale de la Recherche Technique, France (Convention CIFRE no 537/94).