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Hunger switch in the brain: Why do some people always have trouble resisting food temptations?
In our daily lives, dietary choices and habits are often affected by many factors, one of the most critical reasons being the hormonal balance in the body. In particular, the hunger hormone ghrelin has become a central element in exploring food temptation. Ghrelin comes from endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract and has a significant impact on our appetite and eating behavior.
Ghrelin is known as the "hunger hormone" because it increases our desire to eat when we feel hungry.
As our meal time approaches, ghrelin levels in the blood will rise, and then drop rapidly after the meal. This phenomenon shows that ghrelin is conducting an invisible dialogue between the noisy gastrointestinal tract and the brain. Not only that, ghrelin is also thought to help promote food intake, by increasing gastric motility and stimulating the secretion of gastric acid, preparing for food to enter the body.
The discovery and function of ghrelin
Ghrelin was first discovered in 1999, and scientists confirmed its association with the growth hormone secretory type 1A receptor (GHS-R1A). This makes ghrelin not only regarded as an appetite-regulating hormone, but also involved in the maintenance of body energy balance, such as changing energy intake and expenditure.
Ghrelin acts as a messenger, communicating between the body's energy stores and the brain, affecting our eating behavior and energy metabolism.
Within the scope of ghrelin's responsibility, we can also see its impact on various physiological processes. From regulating blood sugar to affecting cardiovascular health, ghrelin functions across multiple systems in our bodies. Research shows that ghrelin is also related to the human reward system to some extent, which makes it play an integral role in the pleasure associated with food.
Effects of ghrelin on eating behavior
When people eat, ghrelin levels in the blood drop rapidly, reflecting an increase in satiety. Scientific experiments have shown that the injection of ghrelin can prompt subjects to increase their food intake in terms of quantity, and they are also more likely to engage in frequent eating behaviors in terms of frequency. This means that ghrelin acts as a nudge in attracting people on their way to finding food.
Ghrelin levels are closely related to body weight, and it acts in part as a body fat signal, warning the brain when it needs to eat more food.
Therefore, when ghrelin levels increase, the appetite center in our brain will be stimulated accordingly, making it harder for people to resist the temptation of food. This is why some people seem to struggle with food temptations, especially when life is stressful or emotionally volatile.
The connection between ghrelin and disease
The research on ghrelin is not limited to the regulation of normal eating behavior. Related studies have also explored the role of ghrelin in diseases such as obesity and anorexia. Obese patients tend to have lower ghrelin levels, while anorexic patients have higher ghrelin levels, demonstrating the complexity of ghrelin's role in appetite regulation.
Ghrelin levels may provide a way to regulate food intake from external signals, but in these conditions, ghrelin levels in the body may lose its regulatory function.
In addition, in those who undergo gastric bypass surgery, reduced ghrelin levels also play an important role in regulating appetite. Changes in ghrelin levels after surgery may explain why these patients were able to maintain a stable weight. Overall, the functions of ghrelin are very complex and involve multiple systems, whether in eating behavior or underlying pathological mechanisms in diseases.
Future research on ghrelin
With in-depth research on ghrelin, scientists are trying to reveal more of its functions in the brain, heart, immune and other systems. Ghrelin is not only a "hunger hormone", it may also play a hidden role in our learning, memory, and emotional regulation. These findings not only enhance the physiological understanding of ghrelin, but may also lead to the development of relevant treatments for eating disorders and other related diseases.
So, next time you feel unable to resist the temptation of food, you might as well think about it. Is this because you are not strong-willed, or is the ghrelin in your brain cleverly influencing your choices?
