Ghrelin: lose weight by leaps and bounds

When it comes to weight loss, many people are faced with the fact that at some point the hated kilograms refuse to leave the body. The energy deficit that occurs during intense training and a strict diet forces the human endocrine system to adapt in order to maintain at least minimal reserves.

One of the most important hormones that affects the state of energy balance – this is ghrelin. On estet-portal.com read how, by influencing the concentration of the hormone, to achieve rapid and lasting weight loss.

Ghrelin: controlling the hormone to control appetite

Ghrelin is a hormone whose main task is to increase appetite. An increase in the concentration of ghrelin in the blood is observed, as a rule, before eating and decreases after it.

The hormone is produced by cells located in the gastrointestinal tract, which send impulses to the brain. Thus, during bariatric operations, when the volume of the stomach is surgically reduced – ghrelin levels are also reduced, making satiety after eating much faster.

Ghrelin levels are negatively related to weight, so diet (especially strict calorie restriction) tends to increase the hormone levels, which in turn stimulates appetite.

Ghrelin plays an important role in stimulating short-term appetite increases and long-term weight gain. But the hormone also regulates:

• secretion of growth hormone and insulin;

• glucose and lipid metabolism;

• gastrointestinal motility;

• blood pressure and heart rate.

Furthermore, ghrelin concentrations rise directly in response to stressful situations, which explains why so many people tend to have an increased appetite after being stressed.

Ghrelin and leptin: antagonists that work in pairs

The regulation of metabolism is carried out with the help of hormones, the main task of which is to isolate the body from stress and maintain its viability. Ghrelin and leptin work together to control energy balance.

Ghrelin is synthesized in the stomach and increases appetite, while leptin is produced by adipocytes and, conversely, activates satiety.

Both hormones are responsible for maintaining a normal weight, however, if the secretion of one of them is impaired, or resistance to their effects occurs, such disorders as obesity or anorexia occur.

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How to maintain a normal level of ghrelin secretion

In order to maintain a normal level of ghrelin, and not experience excessive hunger, it is enough to follow simple rules:

• do not restrict calories totally by starving and following very strict diets;

• eat enough protein, because it is food rich in proteins that contributes to the most rapid decrease in the level of "hunger hormone";

• ensure healthy sleep;

• control stress levels;

• increase physical activity;

• avoid artificially flavored foods as they activate reward centers in the brain, increasing appetite.

Research is ongoing to find a "vaccine against obesity". For this, it was proposed to administer ghrelin antagonists to patients. However, at this stage, the only effective way to get rid of excess weight is still diet and intense physical activity.

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