Acute effect of high and low carbohydrate meals on postprandial concentrations of weight regulation markers

Low‑carbohydrate (LC) diets are often associated with increased satiety and “food disinterest,” but the hormonal mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood. This crossover study examined how LC and high–complex carbohydrate (HC) meals influence appetite‑related hormones and subjective hunger in 10 healthy adults. Postprandial measurements over 9.5 hours showed that LC meals produced higher PYY and GLP‑1 responses and lower glucose, insulin, and leptin levels compared to HC meals, with no differences in ghrelin. Despite significant hormonal differences, subjective hunger and fullness ratings did not differ between meal types. These findings suggest LC meals alter key satiety‑related hormones, which may contribute to reduced appetite reported with LC diets.