Fighting hunger is one of man’s greatest obsessions. This is logical, as it is an incentive that sometimes we cannot contain, mess with them donettas from the pantry like tomorrow doesn’t exist. Unfortunately, for some people, this problem goes even further: it can manifest itself in certain hormone-related eating disorders. It is not joke.
What really seems like a joke is a recent surgical treatment, sponsored by the Catholic University of Korea, which involves inserting an implant into a patient’s stomach to supposedly keep the hormones that control hunger.
Far from being an internet meme, this technique is as real as life itself, although it is currently under study. The big question is: can it really be useful? His intentions make all the sense in the world, but he brings up many unknowns for the future. Of course, this by no means guarantees a person’s proper nutrition, which will help him improve his eating habits in the long term.
Hunger and appetite are not the same
Appetite is a very subjective sensation., since it can vary in different people depending on various factors: genetic, social and physical. In this sense, it is important to distinguish between several terms that refer to the various sensations that we feel in the body while eating. They get confused quite often.
While appetite refers to a psychological variable, hunger is defined as the physical sensation we experience in the face of nutrient deficiencies. Namely: hunger marks us when we should eat food for all our vital functions. On the other hand, you have probably heard of the term “saturation”. Satiety is defined as the period between different meals we eat: how full we feel before the next meal. In addition, there is a second concept called “fullness”, which refers to the moment when we finish eating. In this sense, satiety refers to a shorter period of time, usually around 20-30 minutes: the time it takes to feel full from eating.
However, it’s not always mathematical, since some mental illnesses, such as eating disorders (EDD), can independently change these signals from the body. On the other hand, throughout the process of digestion, various hormones are involved in the realization of the nutrients in our food. Insulin, for example, is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps the glucose obtained from food to be used properly in our cells.
Leptin and ghrelin, hormones that control hunger
However, there are several more specific hormones that affect the feeling of hunger. These are ghrelin and leptin, and both of them perform antagonistic, but at the same time complementary functions. Ghrelin is a hormone responsible for stimulating appetite. through the smells we perceive.
Do you find it difficult to resist the aroma of your favorite dish? Ghrelin could be the culprit. In fact, some research suggests that those who are more sensitive to food odors may have higher levels of ghrelin in the body. Thus, ghrelin is a hormone that affects the feeling of satiety, as it can change the feeling of hunger that we feel until the next meal.
In turn, leptin is also largely associated with the feeling of satiety, but in contrast to ghrelin. Leptin is a hormone that suppresses hunger and helps us increase the feeling of satiety after eating. Many studies have tried to unravel all the mysteries that these hormones hide, as greater control over them can lead to certain weight loss opportunities. How can we control the presence of ghrelin and leptin? Can the levels of these hormones be manipulated at will? It doesn’t sound that simple, but we can manage some of the more mundane factors that heavily influence hormones associated with hunger and satiety:
- good rest interferes with optimal levels of ghrelin and leptin. In other words, if we do not sleep well, it is possible to increase the level of ghrelin in our body, which is involved in stimulating the feeling of hunger. On the other hand, some scientific studies have also shown that poor sleep can lower leptin levels, causing increased appetite the next morning. This confirms the close relationship between sleep, food and health that has been traditionally studied.
- Alcoholic drinks they have also shown the ability to alter normal ghrelin levels. Surely you have ever noticed when you raised your elbow, how your hunger increased disproportionately, even from a glass of wine or a pint of beer. This makes sense, as even low doses of alcohol have been shown to increase ghrelin levels in the body.
- lack of physical activity showed negative signs regarding appetite. Various scientific studies have shown that regular exercise can lower levels of the hormone ghrelin, which is involved in increasing hunger. You noticed? When we finish a workout, it is normal that we do not immediately feel insatiable hunger. On the other hand, it also seems that exercise can stimulate the synthesis of the hormone leptin, which is involved in providing satiety, as we mentioned earlier.
So now you know that maintaining healthy habits can help you control your hunger. Good sleep, frequent exercise, and cutting back on alcohol can greatly help you said food feat. Your future self will be very grateful if you keep a little eye on these factors.
Source: Hiper Textual
