We are one step closer to deciphering why people often crave brownies, mashed potatoes, ice cream and other high-calorie, high-fat comfort foods.
UT Southwestern Medical Center-led findings, in a mouse study, suggest that ghrelin is involved in triggering this reaction to high stress situations. If you’ve not heard of “ghrelin” yet, you will be hearing about it more and more as it a hormone involved with hunger.
Scientists know that fasting causes ghrelin to be released from the gastrointestinal tract, and that the hormone then plays a role in sending hunger signals to the brain. Research has previously shown that chronic stress also causes elevated ghrelin levels.
In mice, stress-induced rises in ghrelin lead to overeating and increased body weight, showing a relationship between weight related issues and chronic stress and depression.
For this study, researchers developed a mouse model to determine which hormones and what parts of the brain may play a role in controlling eating behaviors that occur when stressed, and particularly the hormones that lead to the indulgence of comfort foods.
The mice subjected to stress gravitated toward a chamber where they had been trained to find pleasurable, fatty food — the mouse equivalent of “comfort food.” However, mice who were genetically engineered not to respond to stress-induced increases in ghrelin, showed no preference toward the fatty food chamber. Even when exposed to the fatty food, they did not eat as much as the other mice.
The study also showed that these effects of ghrelin are due to direct interaction with dopaminergic neurons in the brain’s ventral tegmental area, which is known to be associated with pleasure and reward behaviors.
More and more studies surrounding ghrelin are surfacing as scientists know it is a key hormone in hunger, and further studies may show ways to help temper the hormone release, helping many people overcome obesity.
In my book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Body, I discuss the role of ghrelin and another appetite related hormone called leptin. One of the best ways to balance these hormones is to get a good night’s sleep and to eat small regular meals throughout the day.
For more information on how to balance your brain and hormones so that you can have better success at maintaining health and weight, check out my books Change Your Brain, Change Your Body or The Amen Solution or see www.theamensolution.com. For a good night’s sleep, see our store at www.amenclinics.com for supplements and audio tapes that support restful sleep.
Research: UT Southwestern Medical Center (2011, June 29). Ghrelin likely involved in why we choose ‘comfort foods’ when stressed. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 28, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2011/06/110623130336.htm
Dear Dr Amen
I would like to put a connection to your website on my new website. May I have permission? My interest is in dyslexia and reading problems. I am recommending Irlen and the Expressways to Reading program.
Thank you
Heather
My question is, since I am overweight and love the comfort food, and yes, I am depressed and stressed. Now what? Is there a way to turn off the ghrelin hormone, or at least reduce it’s level? I know finding a job would significantly reduce this level, however, that may be a while, and I don’t think being obese will help my job search!
Thanks,
Pat
It sounds a lot like “gremlin” – makes sence!
I CAN IDENTIFY BECAUSE I CRAVE THOSE FOODS WHEN I AM STESSED!
Very interesting info about ghrelin. I love only dark chocolate. Since taking lecithin, I have no appetite for it at all. Have you done any research on this item?
My cousin suffers from Prader-Willi Syndrome (wherein the brain never “registers” fullness when eating) and I have read much about ghrelin and leptin in regard to this, but a cure or even an effective treatment for those suffering with PWS remains elusive. I was wondering if there were any recommendations through this site specifically for those with this terrible diagnosis? Thanks!
My husband is very overweight and his dr has suggested several times that he have a sleep study done.
Do you think that is something that is a valuable tool, or is it something that is just a trend for the industry that sells the machines. He is not keen on doing it because he is not sold on the value of it overall, and does not understand how this will help him. He currently sleeps in his recliner each night because he sleeps better than lying down in the bed.