Study Shows Why Protein-Rich Meals Are More Effective At Promoting Wakefulness

A British study has found that activity in the brain’s orexin/hypocretin neuron system – which controls energy balance and wakefulness – is regulated by macronutrient balance rather than simply by the caloric content of the diet. This cellular mechanism allows brain cells to translate different diets into different patterns of activity. The orexin/hypocretin neurons are apparently under a “push-pull” control by sugars and proteins, a finding that is consistent with reports that when compared with sugar-rich meals, protein-rich meals are more effective at promoting wakefulness and arousal.