Ghrelin is what is known as the “hunger hormone” — it is an appetite-increasing hormone given its name because it is known to be a “growth hormone-releasing peptide” (or GHR). Ghrelin originates in the stomach and fluctuates throughout the day; this is dependent on your intake of food.
It is a peptide hormone produced by ghrelinergic cells located in the G.I tract — it communicates with the nervous system, and especially the brain. Since ghrelin is the only appetite-stimulating hormone, it can often cause people to overeat. This is because ghrelin can sometimes override signals sent from the GI tract to the brain that tell you to stop eating. While ghrelin has been found to play a large role in short-term feeding and long-term weight gain, it also has other roles, including:
- Regulation of growth hormone and insulin secretion
- Glucose and lipid metabolism
- Gastrointestinal motility
- Blood pressure and heart rate
Additionally, more ghrelin is released directly in response to stressful situations — this helps to explain why it is common for people to have the desire to eat when they are stressed.
How to Lower Ghrelin Level
- Don’t restrict calories! Ghrelin levels increase when someone is consistently under-eating, which is why people feel hungry when they are dieting. Ghrelin levels should go down significantly after a meal, stay down for about 3 hours and then return once its “time” to eat again. If you notice that you are hungry soon after eating or feel the urge to eat frequently throughout the day, consider if you are eating enough calories in general.
- Eat enough protein! Protein tends to fight off hunger, prevent loss of muscle mass during dieting and increases the secretion of satiety hormones.
- Try High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
- Get Good Sleep — sleep deprivation is linked to increased ghrelin levels.
- Practice Stress Management — Chronic stress is likely to increase your appetite and could potentially contribute to other unhealthy habits such as overeating, snacking, drinking more alcohol, skipping sleep or remaining sedentary,
- Avoid Processed Foods — foods that have been refined and processed are usually very high in calories and low in nutrients; they tend to cause overeating due to their activation of the reward center in the brain.