The hormone that makes you hungry is ghrelin. It is often referred to as the "hunger hormone" because it signals your brain when it's time to eat. Ghrelin is produced in the stomach and released into the bloodstream. It then travels to the brain and stimulates appetite.
In addition to making you feel hungry, ghrelin has other functions, including:
- Increasing food intake: Ghrelin stimulates appetite and promotes food intake.
- Helping your body store fat: Ghrelin helps your body store fat by increasing fat storage.
- Triggering growth hormone release: Ghrelin helps to release growth hormone from the pituitary gland.
Ghrelin levels fluctuate throughout the day. They are typically highest before meals, when you are most hungry, and lowest after meals, when you are full.
