Am I Hungry?

WRITTEN BY SARAH MURPHY

HUNGER. HOW CAN WE EXPLAIN HUNGER? IT CAN BE QUITE A CONFUSING FEELING. SOMETIMES WE’RE UNIMAGINABLY HUNGRY; WE COULD EAT A MEAL AS LARGE AS A HORSE. OTHER TIMES, THE DAY CAN PASS BY WITHOUT EXPERIENCING AN OUNCE OF HUNGER. A LOT OF FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO OUR VARYING LEVELS OF HUNGER. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE’RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THE ROLE OF HORMONES AS THEY RELATE TO THE FEELING OF HUNGER.

What are hormones?

Hormones are chemical messengers that exist throughout our bodies to keep us alive. They travel through our bloodstream to our organs, skin, muscles, and tissues, delivering messages that communicate with our body to provide instructions on what to do. So far, research has identified over fifty hormones, all contributing to different bodily processes. For example, hormones trigger responses to growth, development, sex, reproduction, mood, sleep, metabolism, blood sugar, blood pressure, and, yes, you guessed it, feelings of hunger.

The Endocrine System

Your hormones derive from glands located in your endocrine system. These glands are located throughout the body and are responsible for the production and secretion of your hormones. The endocrine system is made up of the pituitary, hypothalamus, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal gland, pineal gland, pancreas, ovaries, and testes. Glands such as our hypothalamus and pituitary monitor levels of hormones in our bloodstream and signal our body to produce hormones. Think of this mechanism as a lock and key. When our body recognizes that we need more of a hormone, one of our glands releases a hormone that communicates with another gland to produce and release another hormone.

Now that you have an understanding of how the endocrine system works, let’s talk about “hunger hormones.” Hunger hormones refer to two dynamic chemicals that control when we feel hungry.

Leptin – made by fat cells; this hormone is known as an appetite suppressor. This simply means that the presence of leptin in our body decreases our appetite. Its primary purpose is to manage our food intake and the use of energy. Leptin prevents the feeling of hunger which triggers our body to use an existing source of fuel to provide energy for tasks. Without leptin or a lack of leptin prompts a hunger response when our body experiences low energy levels or is tasked with a form of labor.

LEPTIN AND WEIGHT: As you might have experienced, the hungrier we are, the more likely it is that we indulge in a meal or snack, and the more likely it is that we gain weight. When leptin kicks in, our brain sends signals instructing us to stop eating after we’ve had enough, preventing overeating and, therefore, excessive weight gain. However, during weight loss, the body produces less leptin as a result of decreased fat cells, causing our bodies to stimulate intense hunger. This can explain why as we begin to lose weight, we develop more significant cravings and might sometimes eat more.

LEPTIN RESISTANCE: Leptin resistance occurs when our bodies override the amount of leptin present, increasing the likelihood of overeating and weight gain. Leptin resistance is common in obese people and can increase when we consume foods with high levels of sugars and fats.

Ghrelin – produced in your gut, this hormone is considered an appetite stimulant. Ghrelin, or lenomorelin, signals our brain to eat. This is what makes us hungry. The primary purpose of ghrelin is to increase our appetite so that we intake more calories and store fat for energy. When our body senses that the stomach is empty, it initiates the release of ghrelin.

GHRELIN AND WEIGHT: The more ghrelin in our bodies, the hungrier we become. It plays an important role in preventing us from undereating and maintaining a healthy amount of body fat. Research suggests that obese people do not necessarily have more ghrelin in their bloodstream but might just be more reactive to the hormone. Furthermore, suppose you begin feeling hungry at the onset of a diet. In that case, it’s probably your body kicking into survival mode by increasing the release of ghrelin to prevent you from starvation.

Controlling your hunger hormones.

The idea of controlling hormones seems enticing because that means we can control our weight gain or loss journey, making our lives much easier. Unfortunately, this is easier imagined than done. Because glands produce our hunger hormones in our endocrine system, there’s very little that we can do to control them. For instance, our diet won’t have an impact on our hunger hormones. However, because leptin is produced in the white adipose tissue of the body, the less fat we have, the less leptin is produced, and vice versa. Ghrelin is similar to leptin in that there are very few ways to control our levels. Still, scientists suggest that if we maintain a proper sleep schedule, increase muscle mass and prioritize sleep, we can maintain a healthy level of that hormone. Hormonal imbalances can contribute to many health issues. For example, doctors associate the imbalances of hunger hormones with diabetes, anorexia nervosa, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, gastritis, obesity, and more.

Hormones play a significant role in our bodies. There are many common hormonal imbalances that occur throughout our bodies that trigger unfavorable responses. The key is to stay aligned with your health. Do not hesitate to chat with your healthcare provider about any health and hormone issues you might be experiencing. There are blood tests that your physician can conduct to narrow out your diagnosis. Our bodies are extremely sensitive and, in some cases, hyperactive to certain hormones. Your hunger hormones are arguably some of the most important. They tell us when to eat and when to stop eating. Stay educated about your body and all its components. The more we understand ourselves and our health, the better we can cater to it.