The Role of High-Protein Instant Ramen Noodles in Inducing and Maintaining Satiety: Acute, Randomized, Crossover Study

For weight loss, it is difficult to follow reduced-calorie diets for a long time, as they usually result in increased feelings of hunger, increased desire to eat, and decreased feeling of fullness, making it difficult for individuals to adhere to weight-loss diets. It may help to have greater satiety along with a reduced calorie diet. The protein content of foods is correlated with satiety value. As such, meals with a higher protein content promote satiety and can reduce energy intake during subsequent meal(s). Evaluating commonly consumed high-protein foods for their potential to increase satiety and reduce subsequent energy intake may enable their incorporation into diets to facilitate long-term weight loss. This study was conducted to test a meal of high protein instant ramen noodles compared to a standard protein instant ramen noodles for greater induction of satiety, reduction of hunger, improvement of glycemic response, and reduction of subsequent short-term energy intake. The study recruited twenty-five (25) generally healthy men and women between the ages of 25 and 45 years with body mass index (BMI) of 20-30kg/m2. A 2-condition, randomized, crossover postprandial study was conducted. Following an overnight fast, subjects consumed in a random order, a 71 g breakfast of high-protein ramen noodles (320 kcal; protein 20 g [25% kcal]; carbohydrates 29 g [36% kcal]; fat 14 g [39% kcal]) or 71 g breakfast of standard protein ramen noodles (311 kcal; protein 6 g [8% kcal]; carbohydrates 41 g [53% kcal]; fat 13 g [38% kcal]). A washout period of 3-35 days separated the conditions. The primary outcome was appetite score. Secondary outcomes were energy intake at buffet lunch, appetite sensations (perceived hunger, perceived satiety, perceived fullness, perceived desire for prospective food consumption, the desire to eat something fatty, the desire to eat something salty, the desire to eat something sweet and the desire to eat something savory), levels of glucose, insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (Glp1), peptide YY (PYY) and Ghrelin. Fasting blood samples were drawn at baseline before the test breakfast and at 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes after breakfast for assessment of glucose, insulin, Glp-1, PYY and ghrelin. Subjects filled out Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) during each blood draw to assess perceived hunger, perceived satiety, perceived fullness, perceived desire for prospective food consumption, the desire to eat something fatty, the desire to eat something salty, the desire to eat something sweet, and the desire to eat something savory. After 180 minutes (3 hours), the subjects were presented with a buffet lunch and asked to eat until satisfied. The lunch served and leftovers were weighed and recorded to determine lunchtime intake of energy, macronutrients, and some micronutrients. All data were analyzed using linear mixed models. The results showed that the appetite score was similar between the conditions (p>0.05). However, after the high-protein ramen noodles breakfast, the participants had significantly lower prospective food consumption and subsequently consumed significantly fewer calories (94 kcal; 95% CI: 8.63, 179.75 kcal; p<0.04), fat (5 g, 95% CI: 0.34, 9.68 g; p<0.05), and sodium (214mg, 95% CI: 41.02, 387.74 mg; p<0.02) during lunch compared to following the standard protein ramen noodles breakfast. The desire to eat something savory and the desire to eat something sweet were also higher in the high-protein group compared to the standard protein condition (p<0.05). There was no difference in perceived hunger, satiety, the desire to eat something fatty, the desire to eat something salty, as well as glucose, and the appetite hormones (GLP-1, PYY, and ghrelin). In conclusion, high-protein instant ramen noodle breakfast acutely decreases prospective food consumption and subsequent lunch time energy intake compared to a standard protein instant ramen noodle. This finding provides an opportunity to test the long-term effect of high-protein noodles in reducing energy intake for the promotion of weight loss.