And why does your brain lose the signal to put the Quality Street tin down?
Are you continually feeling hungry, even though you are eating mountains of food this Christmas?
Well, there could be a few reasons as to why, such as the types of food you are eating, to how much sleep you are getting each night.
We also need to remember that our emotions, whether that be happy, sad, angry, or excited, all stem from our hormones, which again can be affected exogenously (externally) or endogenously (internally).
But do our hormones affect how hungry we are, or possibly how much of an appetite we might have?
The short answer is: Yes.
1. Leptin: The Satiety Hormone (Feeling Full)
Leptin is your body’s key satiety hormone. It’s produced by fat cells and signals to the brain that you have enough energy stored, telling you to stop eating.
An interesting study at Stanford University discovered that just one night of sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality leads to quite a severe suppression of your leptin levels.
This is one of the reasons that you will eat everything in sight following a late night, as your “Feeling Full” hormone isn’t working correctly.
You lose the signal to put the Quality Street tin down!!!
2. Ghrelin: The Hunger Hormone
Ghrelin, often called the “Hunger Hormone,” is produced in the stomach and signals to the brain that it's time to eat.
Another study showed that just one night of poor quality of sleep led to a 20% increase in ghrelin levels. So again, this may be one reason as to why your appetite goes through the roof following a late night or continually going to bed late. More ghrelin = stronger hunger cues.
3. The Insulin-Cortisol Connection
The sleep-hunger cycle is a vicious circle:
· Poor sleep spikes the stress hormone Cortisol.
· High Cortisol levels increase Insulin Resistance and ramp up cravings for sugar and high fat "comfort" foods.
· This surge in sugar and insulin can lead to a quick crash, making you hungry again much sooner.
· This is why that tin of biscuits is so appealing after a restless night!
4. Gut Health and Appetite
Your gut microbiome, the trillions of bacteria in your digestive system, also plays a powerful role in appetite control!
· Specific bacteria produce compounds that travel to the brain and influence the release of both leptin and ghrelin.
· When you eat highly processed, sugary foods (common at Christmas!), you can disrupt this delicate balance, causing your gut to signal for more of those addictive foods, making you continually hungry.
Conclusion
Improving your sleep looks like a good place to start if you are continually feeling hungry, or if you just never seem to feel full and ended up eating your body weight in cheese or chocolates over Christmas!
Prioritise sleep quality and manage those festive late nights to keep your hunger hormones in check!
