What is Ghrelin? How to Reduce Ghrelin Hormone?

One of the concepts faced by those trying to lose weight is ghrelin. Therefore, “What is ghrelin?” It is one of the most interesting and researched topics.

Losing weight is a difficult and patient process. In fact, it is difficult to maintain weight after losing weight. Studies show that a large percentage of dieters regain weight lost in just one year.

The reason for regaining the lost weight is due to the appetite in the body, weight regulating hormones to maintain weight and burn fat.

Ghrelin, called the hunger hormone, plays an important role among these hormones as it signals the brain to eat. While dieting, the levels of this hormone rise and increase hunger, making it difficult to lose weight.

Here's what you need to know about the "hunger hormone ghrelin"...

What is ghrelin?

Ghrelin is a hormone. Its primary role is to regulate appetite. It also facilitates the function of the pituitary gland, controls insulin and protects cardiovascular health.

It is a hormone produced in the gut. It is often referred to as the hunger hormone and is sometimes called lenomorelin.

Via the bloodstream, it travels to the brain, where it tells the brain that it is hungry and needs to find food. The main function of ghrelin is to increase appetite. So you eat more food, take in more calories and store fat.

In addition, it affects the sleep / wake cycle, taste sensation, and carbohydrate metabolism.

This hormone is also produced in the stomach and is released when the stomach is empty. It enters the bloodstream and affects a part of the brain known as the hypothalamus that manages appetite.

The higher the ghrelin levels, the greater the hunger and the unbearable. The lower its level, the more full you feel and the more likely you are to eat fewer calories.

Therefore, for those who want to lose weight, it will be beneficial to reduce the level of the hormone ghrelin. But a very strict and low-calorie diet can have a devastating effect on this hormone.

If you are not eating to lose weight, ghrelin levels will rise too much, causing you to eat more and consume calories.

Why does ghrelin rise?

Levels of this hormone usually rise when the stomach is empty, that is, before a meal. Then it decreases in a short time when the stomach is full.

You may think that obese people have higher levels of this hormone, but it's the opposite. They're just more sensitive to their effects. Some studies show that levels are lower in obese people than in normal people.

Some research suggests that obese people may have an overactive ghrelin receptor (GHS-R) that causes increased calorie intake.

No matter how much body fat you have, ghrelin levels increase and make you hungry when you start a diet. This is a natural response of the body trying to protect you from hunger.

Appetite increases during a diet and the "satiety hormone" leptin levels drop. Metabolic rate It decreases significantly when fewer calories are taken for a long time.

These are factors that make it difficult to lose weight. So your hormones and metabolism try to regain the weight you lost.

What is the difference between leptin and ghrelin?

Ghrelin and leptin; They work together to facilitate nutrition, energy balance and weight management. Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells that reduces appetite.

It essentially does the opposite of ghrelin, which increases appetite. Both hormones play a role in maintaining body weight.

Because the body produces leptin relative to its fat percentage, weight gain causes blood leptin levels to rise. The reverse is also true: weight loss will cause leptin levels to drop (and often more hunger).

Unfortunately, overweight and obese people are often thought to be "leptin resistant", which leads to overeating and thus increased weight gain.

How does ghrelin increase?

Within a day of starting the diet, levels of this hormone begin to rise. This change continues throughout the week.

One study in humans found a 6% increase in ghrelin levels with a 24-month diet.

During a 6-month bodybuilding diet reaching extremely low body fat with severe dietary restrictions, ghrelin increased by 40%.

These examples show that the longer the diet (and the more body fat and muscle mass you lose) the higher your level will be. This makes you hungry, so it becomes more difficult to maintain your new weight.

How to reduce the hormone ghrelin?

A person needs ghrelin in their body to maintain and regulate some vital bodily functions. However, because ghrelin plays an important role in hunger and satiety, lowering its levels can cause people to have less appetite and, as a result, lose weight.

Some research shows that ghrelin levels increase after weight loss. The person may feel hungrier than usual, which may lead them to eat more and possibly gain the weight they have lost.

However, research highlights that changes in ghrelin levels alone are not an adequate indicator of weight gain after weight loss. Behavioral and environmental factors may also play a role.

Ghrelin is a hormone that cannot be controlled from the outside. But there are some things you can do to help maintain healthy levels:

Avoid excess weight: Obesity and anorexia alters the levels of this hormone.

Reduce fructose intake: Studies show that consuming foods high in fructose increases ghrelin levels. Rising levels of this hormone can cause a person to eat more during a meal or feel hungry soon after a meal.

Exercise: There is some debate as to whether exercise can affect ghrelin levels in the body. In a 2018 review study, intense aerobic exercise It has been found that it can reduce ghrelin levels, while another found that circuit exercises can increase ghrelin levels.

Reduce stress: High and chronic stress can cause ghrelin levels to rise. Therefore, people experiencing this type of stress may overeat. When people feel comfortable eating during times of stress, this activates the reward pathway and leads to overeating.

Get enough sleep: Insomnia or less sleep raises ghrelin levels, which causes extreme hunger and weight gain.

Increase muscle mass: Lean muscle mass causes levels of this hormone to drop.

Consume more protein: A high protein diet reduces hunger by increasing satiety. This provides a reduction in ghrelin levels.

Keep your weight balanced: Major weight changes and yo-yo diets, interrupts certain hormones, including ghrelin.

References: 1