How Fatty Foods Can Increase Hunger

A recent study by scientists at the University of Cincinnati has shown that eating fatty foods can increase hunger by activating the hormone ghrelin. This discovery changes the idea of ​​how fats in food affect our bodies and increase appetite. Previously, it was believed that ghrelin was activated exclusively in the body during fasting, but new work has shown that fats from food play a key role in this process.

The Hunger Hormone and Its Activation
Ghrelin is a hormone that is produced in the body when a person is hungry, and its levels peak before eating. This "hunger hormone" activates the need for food, and it is stimulated by pharmaceutical drugs to increase appetite. Initially, it was believed that fatty acids produced by the body during fasting were important for ghrelin activation, but new data suggest that fatty acids come directly from food.

the role of the GOAT enzyme
In order for ghrelin to start working, it needs the enzyme ghrelin O-acyl transferase (GOAT), which promotes its activation. During the study, scientists proved that the fatty acids needed to activate ghrelin come from fats in food, and not from the body's internal reserves. This discovery challenges old ideas about how the hunger hormone works and emphasizes the importance of fats in our diet.

dietary fats and fat accumulation
For the study, scientists used mice that were exposed to different levels of this enzyme. When fed fatty foods, those mice with reduced GOAT levels accumulated less fat, since their brain did not receive signals about the influx of fats. While animals with high GOAT levels gained weight faster. These results provide new insights into how fatty foods affect metabolism and fat accumulation in the body.

Results and their impact on humans
Although the study was conducted on mice, its results are consistent with research by scientists from the University of Virginia, who also showed that fatty foods in humans cause a sharp increase in ghrelin levels. This discovery confirms that, unlike fasting, fatty foods activate the hunger hormone and promote fat accumulation in the body, which may also be associated with metabolic mechanisms in humans.

Prospects for the treatment of metabolic diseases
The results of the study open up new possibilities for the development of treatments for metabolic diseases. Understanding how fatty foods activate ghrelin and affect metabolism can lead to the creation of therapeutic agents aimed at regulating appetite and weight management. This discovery can form the basis for the development of drugs that block the action of ghrelin, improving weight control and preventing obesity.

Thus, the study changes the view on the relationship between nutrition and hormonal regulation, emphasizing the importance of proper nutrition and control of fat intake to maintain a healthy metabolism.