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![Can certain foods really suppress appetite?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_633191c1dd888.jpg)
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![Can certain foods really suppress appetite?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_633191be9d5be.jpg)
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See Also
See Again
© Shutterstock
0 / 29 Fotos
The problem of overeating
- For people who struggle with obesity or being overweight, keeping food consumption to an acceptable level can be a daily struggle.
© Shutterstock
1 / 29 Fotos
Calorie control
- One of the ways that people seek to keep their calorie count under control is to opt for foods that claim to "keep you fuller for longer."
© Shutterstock
2 / 29 Fotos
Marketing strategy
- This is a claim that we see often in the supermarket, branded across products ranging from cereals to green tea.
© Shutterstock
3 / 29 Fotos
Too good to be true
- If you have ever looked at one of these slogans and thought, "That sounds too good to be true," unfortunately, you are probably right.
© Shutterstock
4 / 29 Fotos
Nice thought
- While we might like to believe that there are certain ingredients with appetite-suppressing properties, there is very little evidence to suggest this is actually the case.
© Shutterstock
5 / 29 Fotos
Case in point
- Take chili, for example. There has been research in the past that showed consuming chili peppers may make us feel less hungry afterwards.
© Shutterstock
6 / 29 Fotos
Original research
- However, the studies that came to this conclusion tended to use large quantities of food and tested their effects on animals, rather than humans.
© Shutterstock
7 / 29 Fotos
New research
- Indeed, when the appetite-suppressing properties of chili peppers were tested using quantities that more closely resemble normal human consumption, the results were very different.
© Shutterstock
8 / 29 Fotos
Conclusion
- The experiment, conducted at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, showed that consuming chili has no long-lasting effect on appetite at all.
© Shutterstock
9 / 29 Fotos
Further example
- Another example is coffee. You have probably heard rumors that drinking coffee is a good way to stave off hunger.
© Shutterstock
10 / 29 Fotos
Reality
- Again, however, there are no studies that show how drinking coffee might suppress our appetite physiologically.
© Shutterstock
11 / 29 Fotos
Macronutrients
- You might be thinking, "But what about macronutrients? Surely fiber does actually keep me feeling fuller for longer?"
© Shutterstock
12 / 29 Fotos
No clear consensus
- There has been a lot of research looking at whether certain macronutrients are better at keeping us feeling full. At the moment, however, there is no clear answer.
© Shutterstock
13 / 29 Fotos
Example of protein
- Eating more protein, for example, has been found to help decrease appetite, but this finding was only made in a very small trial.
© Shutterstock
14 / 29 Fotos
Drinking water
- According to the experts, the best way to stave off hunger is to make sure you are drinking enough water.
© Shutterstock
15 / 29 Fotos
Pausing appetite
- According to Martin Kohlmeier, professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, drinking enough water briefly pauses appetite.
© Shutterstock
16 / 29 Fotos
Supporting evidence
- Indeed, research shows that people who drink two glasses of water before eating tend to end up eating less than those who don’t.
© Shutterstock
17 / 29 Fotos
The bottom line
- Even then, the appetite changes on a physiological level will be small and short lived. It doesn’t make sense from an evolutionary perspective that food would suppress appetite.
© Shutterstock
18 / 29 Fotos
Evolutionary perspective
- As experts are quick to point out, it’s only in recent years that we’ve had excess food in Western society.
© Shutterstock
19 / 29 Fotos
The reason for appetite
- Throughout our evolution as a species, food has generally been scarce. Our physiology is therefore designed to drive us to eat.
© Shutterstock
20 / 29 Fotos
The reason for appetite
- It therefore makes sense that if there were a food component that suppresses appetite, we would have to completely avoid it.
© Shutterstock
21 / 29 Fotos
Suppressing appetite
- So you might be wondering whether it is ever possible to suppress your appetite. There is in fact one tip that is perhaps not surprising: eat a balanced diet.
© Shutterstock
22 / 29 Fotos
Avoid nutrient deficiency
- Studies show there are certain nutrients that will drive appetite if our body is deficient in them.
© Shutterstock
23 / 29 Fotos
Balanced diet
- To manage appetite, then, we should make sure to eat a balanced diet so our bodies do not try to compensate for deficiencies.
© Shutterstock
24 / 29 Fotos
Mind tricks
- It may also be possible to suppress appetite psychologically. Indeed, research shows that food has the biggest impact on appetite when we expect that it will make us full.
© Shutterstock
25 / 29 Fotos
Mind tricks
- In practice, this means that we eat less after what we perceive as a big meal, as compared to what we eat after what we see as a small one.
© Shutterstock
26 / 29 Fotos
Filling vs. light
- There was one study that found labeling a meal as "filling" influences us to eat less than a meal labeled as "light."
© Shutterstock
27 / 29 Fotos
All in all
- It seems, therefore, that we cannot fight our body’s physiological processes. All we can do is eat a balanced diet in a bid not to stoke up any unnecessary appetite. Sources: (BBC) See also: Foods that shouldn't be kept for too long in your pantry
© Shutterstock
28 / 29 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 29 Fotos
The problem of overeating
- For people who struggle with obesity or being overweight, keeping food consumption to an acceptable level can be a daily struggle.
© Shutterstock
1 / 29 Fotos
Calorie control
- One of the ways that people seek to keep their calorie count under control is to opt for foods that claim to "keep you fuller for longer."
© Shutterstock
2 / 29 Fotos
Marketing strategy
- This is a claim that we see often in the supermarket, branded across products ranging from cereals to green tea.
© Shutterstock
3 / 29 Fotos
Too good to be true
- If you have ever looked at one of these slogans and thought, "That sounds too good to be true," unfortunately, you are probably right.
© Shutterstock
4 / 29 Fotos
Nice thought
- While we might like to believe that there are certain ingredients with appetite-suppressing properties, there is very little evidence to suggest this is actually the case.
© Shutterstock
5 / 29 Fotos
Case in point
- Take chili, for example. There has been research in the past that showed consuming chili peppers may make us feel less hungry afterwards.
© Shutterstock
6 / 29 Fotos
Original research
- However, the studies that came to this conclusion tended to use large quantities of food and tested their effects on animals, rather than humans.
© Shutterstock
7 / 29 Fotos
New research
- Indeed, when the appetite-suppressing properties of chili peppers were tested using quantities that more closely resemble normal human consumption, the results were very different.
© Shutterstock
8 / 29 Fotos
Conclusion
- The experiment, conducted at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, showed that consuming chili has no long-lasting effect on appetite at all.
© Shutterstock
9 / 29 Fotos
Further example
- Another example is coffee. You have probably heard rumors that drinking coffee is a good way to stave off hunger.
© Shutterstock
10 / 29 Fotos
Reality
- Again, however, there are no studies that show how drinking coffee might suppress our appetite physiologically.
© Shutterstock
11 / 29 Fotos
Macronutrients
- You might be thinking, "But what about macronutrients? Surely fiber does actually keep me feeling fuller for longer?"
© Shutterstock
12 / 29 Fotos
No clear consensus
- There has been a lot of research looking at whether certain macronutrients are better at keeping us feeling full. At the moment, however, there is no clear answer.
© Shutterstock
13 / 29 Fotos
Example of protein
- Eating more protein, for example, has been found to help decrease appetite, but this finding was only made in a very small trial.
© Shutterstock
14 / 29 Fotos
Drinking water
- According to the experts, the best way to stave off hunger is to make sure you are drinking enough water.
© Shutterstock
15 / 29 Fotos
Pausing appetite
- According to Martin Kohlmeier, professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, drinking enough water briefly pauses appetite.
© Shutterstock
16 / 29 Fotos
Supporting evidence
- Indeed, research shows that people who drink two glasses of water before eating tend to end up eating less than those who don’t.
© Shutterstock
17 / 29 Fotos
The bottom line
- Even then, the appetite changes on a physiological level will be small and short lived. It doesn’t make sense from an evolutionary perspective that food would suppress appetite.
© Shutterstock
18 / 29 Fotos
Evolutionary perspective
- As experts are quick to point out, it’s only in recent years that we’ve had excess food in Western society.
© Shutterstock
19 / 29 Fotos
The reason for appetite
- Throughout our evolution as a species, food has generally been scarce. Our physiology is therefore designed to drive us to eat.
© Shutterstock
20 / 29 Fotos
The reason for appetite
- It therefore makes sense that if there were a food component that suppresses appetite, we would have to completely avoid it.
© Shutterstock
21 / 29 Fotos
Suppressing appetite
- So you might be wondering whether it is ever possible to suppress your appetite. There is in fact one tip that is perhaps not surprising: eat a balanced diet.
© Shutterstock
22 / 29 Fotos
Avoid nutrient deficiency
- Studies show there are certain nutrients that will drive appetite if our body is deficient in them.
© Shutterstock
23 / 29 Fotos
Balanced diet
- To manage appetite, then, we should make sure to eat a balanced diet so our bodies do not try to compensate for deficiencies.
© Shutterstock
24 / 29 Fotos
Mind tricks
- It may also be possible to suppress appetite psychologically. Indeed, research shows that food has the biggest impact on appetite when we expect that it will make us full.
© Shutterstock
25 / 29 Fotos
Mind tricks
- In practice, this means that we eat less after what we perceive as a big meal, as compared to what we eat after what we see as a small one.
© Shutterstock
26 / 29 Fotos
Filling vs. light
- There was one study that found labeling a meal as "filling" influences us to eat less than a meal labeled as "light."
© Shutterstock
27 / 29 Fotos
All in all
- It seems, therefore, that we cannot fight our body’s physiological processes. All we can do is eat a balanced diet in a bid not to stoke up any unnecessary appetite. Sources: (BBC) See also: Foods that shouldn't be kept for too long in your pantry
© Shutterstock
28 / 29 Fotos
Can certain foods really suppress appetite?
Get to know these mind tricks!
© Shutterstock
If you have ever followed a calorie-restricting diet, you've probably been enticed by products in the supermarket that promise to "keep you fuller for longer." Of course, we'd all like to believe that there are certain things we can eat to stave off appetite. However, when you consider that this could just be a marketing ploy like any other, it's easy to cast shade over such claims.
Intrigued? Check out this gallery to find out whether certain foods really can suppress appetite.
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