Why a low GL diet makes you feel full

Many people have told me that following my low GL diet has been easy because they just feel full, losing their desire to overeat. While many studies have also reported this finding with low GL diets exactly why this happens has not been clear. Researchers at Kings College London University may have discovered why.

Researchers are presenting their findings today at the annual conference of the Society of Endocrinology. They fed volunteers a high or low GL meal and measured the release of a key hormone involved in appetite control, called gut hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). GLP-1 levels went up by 20% after the low GL meal which is consistent with the reports of reduced appetite. These results show for the first time that eating a low GI meal increases GLP-1 production and suggest a physiological mechanism as to why a low GI meal makes you feel fuller than a high GI meal. This is an important discovery as a natural desire to eat less is a great ally for those wanting to lose weight. One chef reported to me that he didn’t have a cut off switch as far as eating was concerned. “I could just eat and eat and would still be hungry throughout the day. After two months on your diet I now feel full and can leave food on the plate because I’m full. I’ve lost 38kg in six months and ten inches off my belly.” This research specifically looked at the effect of low GL carbs versus high GL carbs. I suspect that there is an additional effect in eating low GL carbs with protein as this delays stomach emptying effectively ‘sloew-releasing’ the carbohydrate. So too does adding something acidic into, or onto your meal, such as lemon juice or vinegar.