Metabolism, Hormones and Brain Chemicals

Ever wondered how the smell of butter chicken or the mere sight of a chocolate cake truffle fuel a desire to eat, sometimes even after they have finished a sumptuous dinner? Is it just pure greed, or is the variety of food choices responsible for the creation of this extraordinary hunger? Or our reaction might be attributed to gut chemistry?

These questions are difficult to answer as the science of hunger is a complex phenomenon that involves taste, smell, feel, sight, psychology, metabolism and hormones. However, the spreading scourge of obesity in many countries, has fueled the interest of scientists in search of answers.

Hormones play a role

Appetite is the desire to eat, with experience as hunger, which is governed by certain parts of the hypothalamus, a part of the brain. That appetite has receptors that indicate whether hungry or not. Many neural pathways connecting the hypothalamus to the eye, tongue, stomach, hands and other brain areas.

Researchers have long been the study of regions in the brain where appetite is perceived and satisfied, and the role hormones play in regulating our eating behavior. More than two dozen hormones regulate appetite or loss of it, the most important are ghrelin, leptin, GLP-1 and PYY. Currently, about 30 chemicals in the body to regulate hunger and satiety.

Ghrelin, a hormone produced in the gut, stimulates appetite, and the peptide (PYY) suppresses the urge to eat. Another hormone produced in our digestive system is leptin, which affects the hypothalamus and suppresses appetite. "Research has shown that people who were given hormones that reduce appetite ate less in an" all-you-can-eat buffet than others. At the same time, a deficiency of hormones (eg leptin) might lead to a marked increase in appetite and morbid obesity

Why lose your appetite

Humans share an emotional relationship with food. Beyond being a means of survival, to gain immense pleasure and great comfort food. While anxiety and psychological distress decreased appetite of some people, the same factors of overeating system in others. In fact, the stress now heads the list of causes of poor appetite, although there are several other factors that may contribute.

When a reduced appetite accompanied by weight loss, alarm bells start ringing unless a person deliberately eat less to lose weight. But in the absence of any physical manifestation, decreased appetite, usually not controlled. Loss of appetite could be an indicator of a latent disease such as cancer, liver disease, kidney failure, hypothyroidism, hepatitis, tuberculosis or an infection.

Or sometimes the reason might be as simple as a persistent fever, flu, or even just a migraine! Poor living habits can also cause a temporary loss of appetite. The psychological and social factors such as pressure to rapid, peer pressure to look Slim or a competitive environment in the workplace contribute to a loss of appetite.

The people in offices tend to be focused on their work and not even register an urge to eat during the day. But as they begin liquidation for the day when they start to feel hungry, and compensate for lack of food during the day with a large and luxurious dinner, to the detriment of health. "People who skip breakfast stop receiving the sensation of hunger in the morning.

This is because our contracting your stomach muscles are very elastic and very little start when we put food in it. Our intestines work correctly when they obtain a good feed, which means a constant blood supply maintained by having food at frequent intervals. Thus, when meals are skipped too often, the thread, as the villi of the intestine are flattened, leading to decreased appetite. That's why the diet frugal eaters and those who constantly stop feeling hungry after a period of time.

The other reason for a persistent loss of appetite that reflects the pattern of addiction to drugs is due to the hunger hormone ghrelin, which is released in response to meal times.

Human beings are creatures of eating habits and get used to feel hungry at specific times. So, when ignoring the urge to eat becomes a habit, the body loses its rhythm and forget the time they are supposed to feel hungry. As a result, people lose the desire to eat or increased appetite. The internal factors may be a latent disease or excessive alcohol that produces toxicity in the body, leading to loss of appetite. The rate of metabolism or of certain medications may also cause a decrease in appetite.

Eating well is the solution

The key to keeping the appetite and body weight is in making right food choices. Foods that give you extreme highs and lows, like fatty foods and refined carbohydrates should be eaten sparingly, as they give you immediate energy and you feel hungry soon after you've had. "Refined carbohydrates do not sit in the stomach for a long time because they are concentrated sources of carbohydrates and have less volume, leading to food cravings. By contrast, fatty foods are satisfying and filling. They provide a great deal of energy to the body and keep it active for hours because they get digested very slowly. However, the body does not need much of it.

Nutritionists recommend eating a good portion of food rich in complex carbohydrates and protein, and a small amount of fatty foods remain satisfied for long hours, reducing hunger until the next meal time. Complex carbohydrates are broken down into glucose more slowly than simple, and so provide a gradual steady flow of energy throughout the day. Similarly, the proteins are high in fiber and get digested slowly and therefore remain in the stomach for many hours, giving fullness and satiety.

For example, oatmeal or oats, cabbage and eggs for breakfast and curbs hunger goes to lunch.

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These questions are difficult to answer as the science of hunger is a complex phenomenon that involves taste, smell, feel, sight, psychology, metabolism and hormones. Yet the scourge of obesity spreading in many countries of the world has fuelled the interest of scientists in finding the answers.