Adequate protein consumption is critical, whether you’re an older adult looking to maintain muscle mass as you age, an athlete or regular exerciser looking to build muscle, or have recently begun taking weight-loss medications, in which case you’ve most likely heard a lot about the importance of eating more protein. You most likely have questions. Can consuming extra protein help you lose weight? Does protein help you build muscle? What are the other advantages of consuming extra protein? Continue reading to uncover five reasons why you should increase your protein intake.

1. Stop the hunger – Intake of protein causes a unique hormonal reaction in the body that lowers appetite. This appetite suppression is characterized by self-reported experiences of decreased hunger, reduced desire to eat, decreased food consumption, and greater feelings of fullness and satiety. A cascade of hormonal responses suppresses your appetite, resulting in less overeating, slower stomach emptying, and enhanced satiety, which means you’ll eat less, digest more slowly, and feel fuller for longer.

2. Increase your metabolism – Consuming more protein increases energy expenditure. Daily energy expenditure happens in three ways:

Resting energy expenditure (REE): The calories you burn while at full rest 

Diet-induced energy expenditure (DIT): Caloric expenditure increases after eating to facilitate nutritional absorption, metabolism, and storage.

Activity-induced energy expenditure: Physical exercise causes calorie expenditure.

Typically, DIT accounts for 0 to 3% of total energy intake for fat, 5 to 10% for carbohydrates, and 20 to 30% for protein. In other words, eating protein boosts energy expenditure since it takes more calories to digest, absorb nutrients, and store than fat or carbohydrates. Protein also protects REE by preventing lean muscle mass loss (more on that later).

3. Increase and maintain muscle mass – Post-workout protein intake, along with proper protein consumption throughout the day, is critical for repairing, developing, and maintaining lean muscle mass when combined with physical exercise and calorie restriction during dieting. According to research, proper protein consumption has an impact on muscular development, strength, and functionality. Research also suggests that eating enough protein while reducing calories as part of a weight-loss diet retains muscle mass rather than the body breaking down muscles for energy.

4. Improve mood – What you eat may affect how you feel. According to research, more protein and fat intake correlates with reduced levels of anxiety and depression, as well as higher levels of pleasure, wellbeing, and well-being. This association may be influenced by nutrient absorption rates. Eating protein reduces glucose absorption and promotes the release of norepinephrine and dopamine, two hormones that make us feel happy.

5. Maintain cognitive function – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that one in every nine adults in the United States will have cognitive decline. When task demands are high, protein intake helps to boost working memory and executive function. According to research, the source of protein may also play a crucial role. When it comes to cognitive function, animal protein consumption in communities with plant-based diets may aid to prevent cognitive decline, but higher amounts of plant protein intake may be linked to increased cognitive decline. Proteins found in fish, shrimp, and poultry may prevent cognitive deterioration.