Condition
Appetite Regulation
Appetite regulation is the body's hunger and fullness system, where hormones like ghrelin, leptin, GLP-1 and PYY pass signals between gut, brain and fat tissue. The evidence is strongest for glucomannan, a fiber that swells in the stomach, and for protein, while small trials of 5-HTP from Griffonia found more fullness and less eating. Those 5-HTP studies were tiny, and green tea extract showed no clear difference in ghrelin.
Sources: PMID 16023217
- Supplements studied
- 9
- Medicines and peptides
- 1
- Graded outcomes
- 8
- Trials
- 1
- People studied
- 1,639
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appetite and Food Intake Two small RCTs using Griffonia extract specifically (oral/sublingual spray, n=20 and n=27) showed significantly increased satiety and reduced BMI in overweight women. Three placebo-controlled 5-HTP trials by Cangiano et al. (n=19-25 each) demonstrated reduced food intake, decreased carbohydrate consumption, and weight loss in obese subjects, including those with type 2 diabetes (750 mg/day). An 8-week RCT in trained adults found 5-HTP may reduce body fat mass. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 6 studies | 140 people | ||
Studies that measured appetite and food intake
| ||||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appetite Reduction Consistently reduces food intake across multiple animal species via vagal afferent signaling and PPARα activation. Human observational studies link post-bariatric surgery OEA increases to metabolic improvements (PMID:30702457, PMID:25413674), but direct oral supplementation has not been validated in human trials. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 4 studies | |||
Studies that measured appetite reduction
| ||||||
White Kidney Bean Extract
- Appetite: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appetite Several human studies suggest appetite-suppressing effects. Spadafranca et al. (2013) found suppressed ghrelin rebound and lower desire to eat (p=0.02) in a small acute RCT (n=12). Luzzi et al. (2014) reported improved satiety and decreased appetite alongside weight loss in 60 overweight subjects over 12 weeks. Rondanelli et al. (2011) found improved hunger susceptibility scores with a combination of P. vulgaris and artichoke extract. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 3 studies | 132 people | ||
Studies that measured appetite
| ||||||
Calcium Caseinate
- Satiety: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Satiety Casein increases satiety more than whey in some studies due to slower gastric emptying and prolonged gut hormone release. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 100 people |
Coleus forskohlii
- Appetite
- Weight: improves
- Blood glucose: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appetite No effect | NoneNo effect | 30 people | ||||
| Weight | Improves (the measure goes down) | 3 studies | 30 people | |||
Studies that measured weight
| ||||||
| Blood glucose | Improves (the measure goes down) | 30 people | ||||
| Blood Pressure | Improves (the measure goes down) | 30 people | ||||
| Heart Rate | Improves (the measure goes down) | 30 people | ||||
| Hip Circumference | Improves (the measure goes down) | 30 people | ||||
| Insulin | Changes; see studies | 30 people | ||||
| Insulin Resistance | Improves (the measure goes down) | 30 people | ||||
| Waist circumference | Improves (the measure goes down) | 30 people | ||||
| Waist-Hip Ratio | Improves (the measure goes up) | 30 people | ||||
Green Tea Extract
- Ghrelin
- Leptin: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghrelin No effect | NoneNo effect | 927 people | ||||
| Leptin | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 927 people | |||
Whey Protein
- Appetite: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appetite | Changes; see studies | 1 study | 64 people | |||
Studies that measured appetite | ||||||
Resistant Starch
- Appetite: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appetite | Changes; see studies | 1 study | 264 people | |||
Jojoba
- Appetite Suppression (Oral - Safety Concerns)
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appetite Suppression (Oral - Safety Concerns) | 1 study | |||||
Studies that measured appetite suppression (oral - safety concerns) | ||||||
Prescription medicines and peptides studied, for context
Setmelanotide (Imcivree)
- Hunger Reduction: improves
- Hyperphagia Control: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunger Reduction Significant improvements in hunger scores were observed in all cohorts (POMC, LEPR, and BBS) with setmelanotide treatment. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Large effect | 6 studies | |||
| Hyperphagia Control Setmelanotide reduced hyperphagia and obsessive focus on food in patients with genetic obesity syndromes, improving daily functioning. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Large effect | 6 studies |
Key findings
- Appetite and Food IntakeImproves (the measure goes down)
- Appetite ReductionImproves (the measure goes down)
- AppetiteImproves (the measure goes down)
The Appetite Regulation & Satiety Support protocol
2 primary supplements · 6 supporting supplements
- Glucomannan1–3 g before meals with plenty of water
- Protein Supplementation20–30 g protein at each meal; consider protein supplement if dietary protein is low
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Studies cited
26 studies from PubMed
- Management of Acquired Hypothalamic Obesity After Childhood-Onset Craniopharyngioma-A Narrative Review.
- Setmelanotide in patients aged 2-5 years with rare MC4R pathway-associated obesity (VENTURE): a 1 year, open-label, multicenter, phase 3 trial.
- Setmelanotide for the treatment of acquired hypothalamic obesity: a phase 2, open-label, multicentre trial.
- Approach to Obesity Treatment in Primary Care: A Review.
- The Effects of 5-HTP on Body Composition: An 8-Week Preliminary RCT.
- Setmelanotide for controlling weight and hunger in Bardet-Biedl syndrome
- From forest to pharmacy: Should we be depressed about a sustainable Griffonia simplicifolia (Fabaceae) seed supply chain?
- The efficacy and safety of setmelanotide in individuals with Bardet-Biedl syndrome or Alström syndrome: Phase 3 trial design
- Oea Signaling Pathways and the Metabolic Benefits of Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy.
- Profiling plasma N-Acylethanolamine levels and their ratios as a biomarker of obesity and dysmetabolism.
- Synthesis and evaluation of fatty acid amides on the N-oleoylethanolamide-like activation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α.
- Gastric bypass in morbid obese patients is associated with reduction in adipose tissue inflammation via N-oleoylethanolamide (OEA)-mediated pathways.
- A Medical Food Formulation of Griffonia simplicifolia/Magnesium for Childhood Periodic Syndrome Therapy: An Open-Label Study on Motion Sickness.
- Beanblock (standardized dry extract of Phaseolus vulgaris) in mildly overweight subjects: a pilot study
- Phaseolus vulgaris extract affects glycometabolic and appetite control in healthy human subjects
- Griffonia simplicifolia oral spray for satiety in overweight women
- Appetite control and glycaemia reduction in overweight subjects treated with a combination of two highly standardized extracts from Phaseolus vulgaris and Cynara scolymus
- Satiety and amino-acid profile in overweight women after a new treatment using a natural plant extract sublingual spray formulation
- Serotonin a la carte: supplementation with the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan
- The satiating effect of a diet containing jojoba meal (Simmondsia chinensis) in dogs
- Effect of whey protein supplementation on long and short term appetite: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- The effect of acute consumption of resistant starch on appetite in healthy adults; a systematic review and meta-analysis of the controlled clinical trials
- Effect of green tea on plasma leptin and ghrelin levels: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.
- Regional fat loss from the thigh in obese women after adrenergic modulation
- Coleus forskohlii Extract Supplementation in Conjunction with a Hypocaloric Diet Reduces the Risk Factors of Metabolic Syndrome in Overweight and Obese Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Effects of coleus forskohlii supplementation on body composition and hematological profiles in mildly overweight women