Meet the Hunger Hormones!

28 octobre 2025

3 min de lecture

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Hormones regulate many processes in our bodies, and appetite is no exception. Let me introduce you to the hormones that are responsible for the desire to eat ‒ leptin and ghrelin. What do we know about them, and how does this knowledge help to control weight?

Points clés

Hormones regulate many processes in our bodies, and appetite is no exception.
Leptin: suppresses appetite
Ghrelin: triggers hunger

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Ceux qui explorent Hormones and thyroid à travers hormones, healthy eating.

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Auteur de l'article

Dr. Oxana

Endocrinologist

Leptin: suppresses appetite

The hormone leptin is produced by fat cells and plays an important role in energy balance. It signals to the brain that the body has enough reserves. The more fat you have, the more leptin in your bloodstream. Many overweight people do not respond to leptin signaling despite high levels of leptin. Levels of this hormone depend on many factors, including recent meal times and sleep patterns. Some researchers believe that leptin helps regulate ghrelin.

The study found that rats injected with doses of leptin started eating much less, but this effect lasted about two weeks. After two weeks, the rodents developed resistance and their appetite returned.

Ghrelin: triggers hunger

The hormone ghrelin is secreted in the stomach and, conversely, stimulates appetite by signaling hunger to the brain. Normally, ghrelin levels rise sharply before a meal and then drop for about three hours after the meal. Through a series of studies, German scientists have found that ghrelin levels play an important role in how quickly hunger returns after a meal and that certain foods help control this hormone.

Less fat, more carbs

As we mentioned earlier, when we eat, hormones send satiety signals to the brain. But it turns out that when we eat fatty foods, this system doesn't work as efficiently as the hormones get confused and the feeling of hunger lasts longer. A diet rich in "good" carbohydrates and lean proteins suppresses ghrelin much better. This type of diet would include:

lean meats: chicken breast, turkey, lean beef
lean fish and seafood: cod, tuna (canned in water), flounder, sea bass, haddock, rainbow trout, shrimp, squid, mussels, crab, lobster
reduced-fat dairy products: yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, kefir, ricotta
whole grain products: cereals, quinoa, brown rice, bread, pasta (whole grain)
fruits and berries
non-starchy vegetables: leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, radishes, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, carrots, beets, onions, green onions, garlic, leeks, cucumbers, celery, asparagus, mushrooms
legumes: lentils, chickpeas, peas, beans
nuts and seeds

Healthy sleep

Lack of sleep also directly affects the strength of appetite. People who are regularly sleep-deprived eat more and are more likely to have problems with excess body weight. A study published in the journal Sleep in 2010 found that reducing sleep to four hours per night leads to increased ghrelin levels and decreased leptin levels, which causes intense feelings of hunger and the desire to eat high-calorie foods.

Science

The levels of ghrelin and leptin in the body can be found by taking a blood test. Typically, these tests are prescribed by a general practitioner, endocrinologist, or nutritionist to diagnose diseases associated with appetite and metabolic disorders. Therefore, an excess of ghrelin can indicate diseases of the stomach, liver, or pancreas, and a shortage can indicate problems with the thyroid, adrenal glands, or pituitary gland. High leptin is found in those with obesity, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and inflammatory diseases. Low leptin levels are a sign of anorexia, cachexia, or genetic disorders.

Normal levels of ghrelin in the body are 520-700 pg/ml, 0.3-19.9 ng/ml for leptin in men, and 4.7-38.9 ng/ml for leptin in women.

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