A new study by Carleton University has suggested the ‘hunger hormone’ that controls the appetite increases our craving for sweet, high-calorie foods even when we have a full stomach.
The theory, which might explain why some still have room for a calorific sugary dessert after a big meal, claims overactive ghrelin hormones lead to overconsumption of reward-driven foods.
Researchers studied the role of ghrelin—the so-called ‘hunger hormone’ - in what they called the ‘dessert phenomenon’: eating tasty desserts after a filling meal.
"Ghrelin receptors may represent an important target for obesity treatments,” study author Veronique St-Onge said in a statement.
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In the study of lab rats, the rodents lacking the ghrelin receptor gene ate less sweet treats (in this case, cookie dough) after a full meal, than did rodents whose ghrelin receptor gene was intact.
"This result supports the idea that ghrelin is involved in reward-based feeding and delays the termination of a meal," St-Onge said.
"A greater understanding of ghrelin's action may be useful for preventing obesity that results from overconsumption of rewarding foods."
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The results of the study will be presented at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting.
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