Milk proteins in the regulation of body weight, satiety, food intake and glycemia

Consumption of dairy products and their milk proteins increase satiety and reduce food intake and blood glucose response when consumed alone or with carbohydrate. Dairy proteins are of interest because proteins are more satiating than either carbohydrate or fat, and they regulate food intake and metabolic functions by the combined actions of the intact protein, encrypted peptides and amino acids on gastrointestinal and central pathways. As shown in this review, milk proteins have physiologic functions that contribute to the maintenance of a healthy body weight and control of factors associated with the metabolic syndrome through their effects on mechanisms regulating food intake and blood glucose. More recent reports show that these benefits can be achieved within the range of usual consumption of dairy. In addition, recent research points to an intrinsic value of small amounts of milk protein or dairy consumed shortly before a meal to reduce the glycemic response to carbohydrate and that this is not at the cost of increased demand for insulin.