What Happens In Our Body When We Feel Hungry?
Author: Karen Lennox
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
In this article, learn more about What Happens In Our Body When We Feel Hungry?. Hunger makes us more impulsive and unable to think about other things..
Hunger is a complex feeling that is only indirectly related to the need for food. People are opportunistic omnivores and have adapted to take advantage of food when it is available. The sight or smell of food can trigger a feeling of hunger.
The same can happen even if you imagine a favorite dish. Our body needs a little time to prepare for the absorption of food and most of the hormonal changes are caused by our internal clock. So at lunch we get hungry whether we need food or not. This is also one of the causes of overeating and problems such as being overweight.
Unlike animals, humans eat for pleasure, not just need.
Here are the processes that take place in the body when our stomach begins to "scrape".
Wandering nerve . It sends a signal to the brain whether the stomach is full or not, as well as what food is in the intestines.
Stomach . When the stomach is left empty for two hours, it begins to contract to send the last remnants of food into the intestines. This is due to the rumbling of the stomach. It is emptied, shortening to prepare for the next meal.
Gastrointestinal tract. The cells in the stomach and intestines produce the so-called ghrelin. It is a hormone that causes hunger. There are clinical studies that link high levels of the hormone ghrelin to obesity.
Pancreas . As normal eating time approaches, the pancreas produces insulin to prepare you for the expected sugar intake. This causes your blood sugar to drop before eating. That's why it makes us hungry. When blood sugar is low, we feel exhausted and need to eat something right away. The first few bites of food raise sugar and we feel better.
Blood . Levels of key nutrients in the blood, including glucose, amino acids and fatty acids, are lowest when we are hungry.
Brain. Hunger increases impulsivity and reduces the ability to make long-term decisions. That is why we should not buy food on an empty stomach.