Know how the brain helps in the regulation of appetite

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Most people think about how to control their appetite and most people don’t know the fact that the brain is responsible for their hunger. Brain, along with hormones helps in the regulation of this appetite. There are many types of appetite suppressant availablein the market, which will help you to keep control of your cravings and hunger.

Melanocortin

Melanocortin 3 and 4 are receptor or message receivers present in the hypothalamus.  This substance regulates the portion that should be eaten to make the body feel full.  Therefore, if there is interference or damage to these receptors, the portion arrangement will be chaotic and cause a person to overeat and cause obesity.

 In addition, melanocortin also regulates the frequency of eating that should be done in a day, when there is a decrease in the amount of melanocortin, the frequency of eating will be excessive and can cause weight gain.

 Mesolimbic system

Mesolimbic is the part of the brain that regulates behaviour, motivation, satisfaction, and a sense of euphoria about something which then releases the  dopamine.  When you eat or drink something that tastes very good, the mesolimbic system will receive signals of pleasure and happiness as a result of tasting the delicious food.  Then, the mesolimbic system releases the hormone dopamine which causes feelings of happiness and pleasure.

The hormone ghrelin

Ghrelin is a hormone that makes you want to eat and increases hunger.  Ghrelin is produced by the hypothalamus and will appear when there are several conditions such as a decreased amount of sugar in the blood, an empty stomach or when you see a delicious food or refreshing drink.  Signals from the senses of sight and smell are sent directly to the brain, specifically the hypothalamus.  Then the hypothalamus will tell the body to release ghrelin.

 When the amount of ghrelin increases in the body, the stomach will automatically empty and then stretch to accommodate the incoming food.  In addition, ghrelin will also stimulate the salivary glands to produce more saliva, which serves to help the process of digestion of food in the mouth.

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