Regulates Hormones

The importance of getting enough protein in your diet cannot be underestimated. Protein is required not just for the synthesis of protein-derived hormones (also known as peptide hormones), but also for the production of critical amino acids that your body cannot produce on its own. Many physiological processes, such as growth, energy metabolism, appetite, stress, and reproduction, are regulated by peptide hormones.

Protein consumption, for example, affects hormones that control hunger and food intake, providing information about your energy status to your brain. Eating protein reduces the hunger hormone ghrelin and increases the synthesis of hormones that help you feel full, such as peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide-1, according to research. A high protein breakfast was linked to increased PYY and GLP-1 levels in 156 obese teens over the course of three months, resulting in weight reduction due to greater feelings of fullness.