Hunger Hormone Ghrelin Adds Calories
Posted on June 17, 2008 in Current Affairs by Danteshwari
We tend to eat more when under stress. Why is this so? The hunger hormone Ghrelin, which acts like anti-depressant is the cause for it. Fasting produces this hormone and the brain receives hunger signals.
Researchers at University of Texas have observed that Ghrelin is produced more due to chronic stress, which causes feelings of hunger to rise in the brain. Of course, behaviors associated with anxiety lessen when the hunger hormone increases. There is more intake of food and body weight also increases.
The research was based on observations of rodents. The food intake of mice was restricted for ten days, resulting in the quadrupling of Ghrelin levels of these animals. As compared to rodents, for whom food was freely accessible, those which had restricted calories had lower levels of anxiety when exposed to mazes and other behavior tests.
An observation was also made of mice, which were genetically engineered not to respond to Ghrelin. When fed with calorie restricted diet, they did not undergo the anti-anxiety or anti-depressant effect. Similar reaction was observed when Ghrelin was induced by exposing the mice to stress. Those who could not respond to Ghrelin exhibited higher levels of depression like symptoms as compared to normal mice.
The researchers concluded that these hunger hormones are responsible for the coordination of a whole gamut of behavioural responses to stress, affecting mood, energy levels and stress.
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