In this video I discuss what is hunger, and why do we get hungry. I also discuss what causes hunger, mainly the hormones leptin and ghrelin. I cover what is leptin hormone, and leptin sensitivity.



Transcript (partial with notes)

Why do we get hungry? Biological mechanisms.

Leptin and Ghrelin.

Hunger is actually brought on by the brain. The main two hormones that take part in this process are leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is a hormone made by fat cells, and it gets released by fat cells when you eat.

It basically tells the brain your full, no more food needed. So, leptin basically decreases hunger. However, consistently overeating will make the brain less sensitive to leptin.

Ghrelin is leptin’s counterpart, it is a hormone produced by cells in the digestive tract. When the stomach is empty, ghrelin is released, telling the brain that you are hungry, and when the stomach is stretched during food consumption, ghrelin release is stopped.

Some studies have shown that ghrelin can also be released during stress and at the sight of food.

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