What is the name of the disease when you don’t feel full. Feeling full with food. How to suppress the feeling of hunger caused by the main reasons

Feeling hungry after eating is a fairly common situation. Those people who periodically experience this feeling themselves try to understand what the reason is in order to get rid of the problem.

But not everyone manages to overcome this feeling. And all because the reasons for each person may be different, and the main task is to find and eradicate the factor that causes the feeling of hunger in your body.

Symptoms of feeling hungry after eating

The main symptom of feeling hungry after eating is, in fact, a constant feeling of hunger. A person has an irresistible desire to eat, and even while eating he thinks about what else he can eat. Even a large portion of food does not bring satiety, and a person can stop only when the stomach is full. But, nevertheless, even this does not bring him nutritional (nutritional) satisfaction.

Without the opportunity to eat, such people become nervous and irritated over trifles. Their mood and productivity largely depend on the availability of food, otherwise all thoughts will be directed only to the search for food.

Experts distinguish between real and false feelings of hunger:

• a real, or physiological feeling of hunger appears when the level of glucose in the blood decreases, when the stomach is empty, when signals from the food center are activated that it is time to replenish the amount of nutrients in the body. During real hunger, the digestive system becomes active, and a person hears and feels a kind of “rumbling” in the stomach and “sucking” in the pit of the stomach;
• a false feeling of hunger appears on a psychological level and has nothing to do with the presence or absence of food in the stomach. Such hunger is caused by many of the reasons we listed above, which do not relate to the body’s direct need for nutrients. In this state, you will not hear the “rumbling” in the stomach.

The most negative point is that if we constantly try to satisfy a false feeling of hunger after eating, then as a result we contribute to the appearance of problems with the digestive and cardiovascular systems, as well as with our mental state. Emotional instability, self-doubt, irritability, even the development of depressive states appear. And here you can’t do without the help of a qualified psychologist.

Feeling hungry immediately after eating: latest research

Sometimes it happens that a person does not go on a diet, eats regular food that is familiar to him, strictly adheres to the diet, but still suffers from a feeling of hunger after eating. American experts, after numerous studies and observations, came to the conclusion that one of the reasons for the constant feeling of hunger is an excess of fatty, filling food. According to long-term observations, the greater the amount of high-calorie, filling food consumed, the more pronounced the feeling of hunger is subsequently. Simply put, a person no longer gets enough of less food, requiring more and more calories.

Nutritionists from the American State University of Cincinnati (Ohio) explained the increase in food cravings by the presence in every human body of a specific hormonal substance - ghrelin. It is also called the appetite hormone. This peptide hormone has the ability to induce hunger by reacting with fats found in the foods we eat.

Ghrelin is produced to a greater extent in the stomach and, in a sense, determines our eating behavior. It has been proven that the amount of this hormone increases immediately before a meal and decreases approximately 2 hours after a meal. However, for those who eat large amounts of high-calorie, filling food, the amount of ghrelin after eating does not decrease. From this we can conclude that the feeling of hunger after eating may be associated with increased levels of the hormone ghrelin.

Based on these studies, specialists began to develop new drugs that could stabilize and regulate ghrelin production. Conversely, by stimulating the synthesis of the hormone, scientists plan to increase food cravings in patients suffering from anorexia.

It remains to be hoped that such drugs will soon be used to treat obesity and pathological hunger.

After eating, you remain hungry - a direct path to bulimia?

Bulimia (from the Greek bus - bull and limos - hunger) is a psychopathological condition in which there is an increased feeling of hunger and decreased satiety: a person suffering from bulimia loses the feeling of satiety, even when eating a large amount of food, and the feeling of hunger haunts him constantly. As a rule, the cause of this condition is damage to the receptors that are located in the hypothalamus and are responsible for obtaining a feeling of satiety. They are the ones who notify the brain that the body is full. Failure of the function of these receptors leads to the fact that a person loses the ability to satiate.

How is bulimia different from the usual feeling of hunger after eating, which we talked about earlier? Because bulimia is not just a symptom of a condition. This is a real eating disorder, most often associated with disturbances in the mental perception of food. In most cases, the problem is based on a phobia - the fear of gaining excess weight due to excess food consumption.

Overeating, a person suffering from bulimia tries in every possible way to get rid of the food they have eaten, either by inducing vomiting or taking laxatives. The result is diseases of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, gall bladder, irritable bowel syndrome, autonomic disorders (heart rhythm disturbances, increased sweating, dizziness and even fainting), as well as mental personality disorders.

People with bulimia often cannot fight painful bouts of hunger. At such moments, they simply attack the food, sweeping away everything - sweets, meat, flour, etc., but do not feel full. Feeling a heaviness in their stomach, and feeling guilty for their incontinence, they go to get rid of everything they have eaten. As a rule, to the toilet.

Sooner or later, this condition may lead to the fact that a person will no longer be able to cope with the problem on his own: long-term treatment in a hospital will be required.

Diagnosis of hunger after eating

In order to diagnose why the feeling of hunger does not disappear after eating, you need to think: under what circumstances or after what events does an irresistible feeling of hunger appear? What do you personally associate it with? Does this feeling always happen, or only sometimes? Based on the answers to these questions, you can choose the appropriate type of diagnosis for yourself:

• Visiting a gynecologist - you may have a hormonal imbalance or menstrual irregularity. Or maybe you're just pregnant!
• Consultation with a neurologist, psychologist or psychiatrist - if your constant feeling of hunger is associated with frequent stress, nervous tension, and worries.
• Consultation with a nutritionist to balance the correctness of your diet with daily physical and mental activity, as well as to adjust your weight loss diet, if you are following one.
• Bacteriological or biochemical examination of feces is carried out to diagnose dysbacteriosis and the state of intestinal microflora. Simultaneously with such a study, it is recommended to consult a gastroenterologist.
• Examination of stool for worm eggs.
• A visit to an endocrinologist to examine the endocrine system and metabolic processes in the body. Determination of blood sugar levels.

These are the main diagnostic methods that you can turn to if you feel hungry after eating. Of course, if you constantly eat simply out of boredom, then diagnosis is useless: just keep yourself busy with something interesting that will help you get carried away and forget about food.

Treating hunger after eating

How can you cure the feeling of hunger after eating?

• Determine and diagnose the cause of the feeling of hunger after eating, and based on the results, undergo qualified treatment.
• Get rid of worms, or undergo prevention of helminthic infestations.
• Limit the percentage of sweet and flour products in your daily diet, replacing them with fresh fruits and berries.
• Create and stick to a diet plan. Only in this case will the body get used to the fact that you eat food at the same time, and will patiently wait in the wings. In this case, it is important to reinforce such a habit: for example, set a reminder on your phone so as not to miss a meal time.
• Normalize your psychological state, avoid scandals, quarrels and stress.

You can also try to get rid of the feeling of hunger after eating using folk remedies. True, if you have a certain disease that contributes to a constant feeling of hunger, then such recipes are unlikely to help you: you should treat the provoking disease - helminthic infestation, hyperthyroidism, metabolic disorders, etc.

The main part of folk remedies for combating hunger after eating is aimed at reducing appetite:

• Take 3 cloves of garlic, peel and crush in a mortar. Pour 200 ml of lukewarm boiled water and leave for 24 hours. Every day before going to bed we drink 1 tablespoon of infusion;
• drink 1 tablespoon of prepared flax oil immediately before meals, three times a day;
• Infuse 1 teaspoon of dry mint and parsley in 200 ml of boiling water for half an hour. We drink when there is a persistent feeling of hunger;
• take 250 g of dried fruits (dates, figs, dried apricots, etc.) and cook in 1.5 liters of water until the amount of water is reduced by 25%. After removing from heat, cool and drink 100 ml before meals;
• Take 10 g of corn silk and pour a glass of boiling water into a thermos, leave for half an hour. Drink 1 tablespoon before eating.

A clever trick also helps to eat less at lunch: before eating, you should drink a cup of green tea, kefir, or just a glass of clean water.

If a constant feeling of hunger after eating is associated with nervousness and stress, use soothing decoctions and teas with the addition of mint, jasmine, lemon balm, valerian or hops.

Prevention

What can you do to prevent feeling hungry after eating?

• Firstly, it is necessary to treat diseases of the digestive system in a timely manner and carry out periodic prevention of helminthic infestations.
• Secondly, you should avoid stress, and if you do get nervous, don’t run straight to the refrigerator: it’s better to take a walk in the park or just down the street, calm down. After you get home, brew some soothing mint tea and put on a good movie or comedy.
• If you are “on a diet”, then you should not think that you must starve and deny yourself everything. Proper and safe weight loss for the body should be based on proper nutrition. Try to ensure that your body does not experience hunger, so that all the necessary substances and vitamins are supplied with food. Just give up all kinds of “harmful foods” - sweets, simple sugars, white flour products, fast food, fatty foods. You don’t have to give up everything else, just count calories according to your constitution and physical activity. Remember that in any case, the calorie content of your daily diet cannot be less than 1200-1400 kcal.
• Monitor your bowel activity. If there are signs of dysbiosis (stool instability - constipation gives way to diarrhea, or bloating, etc.), then be sure to take a course of special medications: bifidumbacterin, lactobacterin, lacto-mun, etc. Be sure to eat fresh fermented milk products: yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, fermented baked milk .
• Include vegetables and fruits in your menu, as they provide the body with the fiber necessary for normal digestion, while being perfectly absorbed by the body.
• Drink enough water. Sometimes we mistake thirst for a false feeling of hunger. Water should be at room temperature, non-carbonated, and should be drunk half an hour before meals, or 2 hours after.
• Avoid feeling hungry. Always have a snack with you: a handful of nuts or dried fruits, but not dry sandwiches or chips.

If you are prone to overeating, try not to idle: it is the boredom of doing nothing that draws us to the refrigerator. Keep yourself busy with something useful, find a hobby that will distract you from thinking about food. Draw, sew, play sports. You can ride a bike, go to the pool or go to the gym. Or you can just go to the nearest park and collect interesting and different leaves. Turn on your imagination and go!

The forecast for feeling hungry after eating depends entirely on you. If you allow yourself to succumb to temptation and eat more and more each time, sooner or later this may result in obesity, digestive diseases, metabolic disorders or bulimia.

Remember that food is not a cult or the meaning of life, so you should not put it in first place in your life priorities. Although you shouldn’t forget about it either: our body won’t like it. Eat healthy foods, preferably at the same time every day, lead an active lifestyle, and the feeling of hunger will not become annoying for you.

Every third person faces the problem of not feeling full after eating.

This is especially true for those who stick to a diet, but sometimes hunger after eating can also signal various problems in the body, and this can and should be dealt with.

No feeling of fullness after eating: reasons ^

Satisfying appetite and obtaining energy is the main essence of eating, because it is from food that a person receives all the substances his body needs. The feeling of hunger is a signal that it’s time to sit down at the table, but what if it bothers you even after several dishes have already been eaten?

First of all, a lack of feeling of satiety can occur for several reasons:

• Reduced blood glucose levels. In such cases, appetite increases and thirst may bother you. If this happens systematically, it is necessary to monitor the sugar content daily, and if it deviates from the norm, this may indicate diabetes mellitus;
• Really empty stomach: The food center gives signals that it is time to eat, and this is a natural moment. The stomach makes a rumbling sound and begins to “suck in the pit of the stomach,” but if this bothers you constantly, there is a high probability of having gastrointestinal diseases;

• False hunger: most often it occurs against the background of psycho-emotional problems, when a person tries to improve his mood through food, or, as they say in another way, “eat stress.” Most often, products containing fast carbohydrates are used - chocolate, buns, sweets - because. They are the ones who can almost instantly increase the level of serotonin – the hormone of happiness;
• Diets: when switching to a low-calorie diet, especially at the very beginning, the body experiences stress, because it already receives less energy from food than before. Gradually, addiction occurs, and the feeling of satiety comes as quickly as before;
• Lack of the satiety hormone leptin also manifests itself in the form of increased appetite;
• Abuse of fatty foods: if a person is used to constantly eating fried or fatty foods, the body requires more and more calories, as a result of which the usual portions may no longer be enough.

In any case, if you cannot get enough food, this can lead to overeating - a problem that provokes the appearance of excess weight and other, more serious health problems.

There is no feeling of fullness after eating: symptoms and consequences of overeating

The main symptoms of overeating, when there is no satiety after eating, are the following:

• Constant weight fluctuations;
• A sharp increase in body weight;
• Bloating, flatulence;
• The desire to eat something, even if there is no feeling of hunger;
• The habit of eating in front of the TV, while reading or before bed;
• Depression that occurs against the background of a lack of satiety and dissatisfaction with one’s figure due to the appearance of excess kilograms.

The consequences of overeating due to a lack of satiety in the stomach can be very different: problems arise in the functioning of the heart, hypertension, obesity, the risk of pancreatitis, gastritis, colitis increases, hormonal levels or the menstrual cycle in women can be disrupted.

Why there is no feeling of fullness: reasons and ways to combat constant hunger ^

How to get satiated quickly

How does the feeling of satiety occur?

• As with the feeling of hunger, the feeling of fullness occurs through the stimulation of the nerve centers, which appears after filling the stomach with food.
• Most often, people who say “I don’t feel full” are experiencing severe stress, which contributes to the suppression of such food centers.
• When the stomach is full and there are no factors contributing to overeating, the appetite is satisfied and does not bother you for several hours after eating.

What foods make you feel full?

One of the main ways to combat increased appetite is to quickly satiate yourself with food using products that provide this:

• Natural coffee: it stimulates the nervous system and dulls the effect of appetite receptors for several hours, however, drinking it in the afternoon is not recommended to avoid problems with sleep;
• Avocado: contains monounsaturated fats, thanks to which hunger is quickly satisfied;
• Natural yogurt: It contains a lot of calcium, which sends a signal to the brain that you are full. This also includes low-fat kefir;
• Warm milk: when heated, it releases a lot of beneficial elements that increase serotonin levels, so it is recommended to drink it at night for relaxation;
• Bananas: despite the high content of starch and carbohydrates, they are very useful during the diet, but not more than 1 per day. They improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and a small piece of banana can quickly relieve hunger.

To get rid of a constantly increased appetite, you must adhere to special rules:

• Eat often (every 2-3 hours), but in small portions;
• Get up from the table with a feeling of slight hunger;
• Avoid eating sweets, flour, fried and smoked foods: such foods cause obesity and other health problems;
• Lead an active lifestyle: it has been proven that sedentary people very often suffer from obesity due to overeating;
• Use healthy foods in your diet: fruits, vegetables, berries, lean fish and meats, herbs, legumes, mushrooms. They supply the body with all the necessary vitamins and perfectly fight appetite.

What to do when your stomach growls treacherously after lunch, aromatic smells are everywhere, and rosy pies, crispy chicken or juicy fruits catch your eye, and a feeling of hunger fills your mind? Saturation after eating does not come immediately, but within 30 minutes. Therefore, do not rush to eat until your stomach hurts; leave the table with a slight feeling of hunger. If after an hour you are drawn to the kitchen to the refrigerator, then we can talk about a malfunction in the body.

Why do you still feel hungry after eating?

A person is designed in such a way that after eating food, a feeling of satiety comes. It gives him joy and psychophysical comfort. Hunger overshadows everything. A hungry person is angry, irritable, and thinks only about food. The rest fades into the background. Uncontrolled absorption of food leads to extra pounds and metabolic disorders. Therefore, we cannot leave everything to chance; it is necessary to identify the causes of this unpleasant phenomenon.

Among the main reasons are:

1. Stress is the scourge of the 21st century. Once you get nervous, your hands reach for food and more often than not, high-calorie confectionery products end up in them. Eating problems day by day, a person unnoticed gains weight;
2. Lack of certain nutrients. After a big lunch, do you want any specific food? Most likely, the body lacks certain vitamins, macro- and microelements or does not have enough fiber, proteins, fats or carbohydrates for vital functions. Therefore, even after a hearty lunch, you will want to eat until the body replenishes the deficiency of missing substances;
3. Lack of water in the diet. This does not mean soda, juices, tea, but plain water. Often after eating a person confuses hunger with thirst. Have you eaten well, but still want to eat? Drink a glass of clean water after lunch and you will feel full;
4. Mental stress. During mental work, a large amount of glucose is required to properly nourish the brain. It is the brain that sends signals about a lack of energy, while the body does not need it;
5. Lack of physical activity. A sedentary lifestyle slows down cellular energy metabolism and glucose uptake. The walls of the stomach stretch due to the consumption of large amounts of food, and food portions imperceptibly increase. Over time, you want to eat more often; a person does not get enough at one time. People who lead a “Plyushkinsky” lifestyle often suffer from boredom and begin to chew from “doing nothing.” This soon becomes a habit that will not be easy to break;
6. Dietary disorder. The Russian proverb “Eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend, give dinner to your enemy” gives the correct setting for your diet. In ordinary life, only a small percentage of people manage to have a good breakfast. The rest begin to suffer from hunger in the morning. But, as soon as you start the morning with a hearty meal, your ability to work will increase, and thoughts about your daily bread will bother you less;
7. Health problems. This may be a disease at the genetic level, when the saturation signal fails in the brain or a mental disorder, hormonal disorders, or helminth infection. Only a specialist will help here. Be sure to consult with him.

How to reduce hunger?

There are several general rules to help cope with hunger.

• It is better to start your meal with a salad;
• Food should be balanced and rich in essential nutrients;
• You need to eat in small pieces, chewing the food thoroughly. Remember, he who chews longer lives longer;
• Make it a rule to eat small meals over a short period of time;
• Limit foods with fast carbohydrates. They break down quickly, causing a spike in sugar levels, but do not saturate the body. Products with fast carbohydrates: lard, sugar, wheat bread, honey, confectionery, chips, fruits - grapes, persimmons, banana.

How to suppress the feeling of hunger caused by the main reasons?

You can overcome the feeling of hunger if you take into account the recommendations of doctors and nutritionists:

• Stressful situations must be avoided. If stress overtakes you, resist the temptation to eat a couple of buns and instead drink herbal tea.
• Various cereals, dairy products and eggs are considered the ideal breakfast. The denser your morning meal, the longer you will not have the desire to eat, and you will need smaller portions for lunch and dinner.
• The optimal amount of food per day is 3 full meals and 2 snacks.
• An adult should drink 1.5-2 liters of water. Drink tea without sugar. Green tea with mint copes well with the feeling of hunger. It is a strong antioxidant and helps fight stress.
• Introduce leafy green vegetables into your diet - lettuce, spinach. They contain a lot of fiber, which helps keep you feeling full for a long time.
• Reinforce mental activity not with sweets and dried fruits, but with nuts, cereals, corn, and bread.
• Lead an active lifestyle.
• You need to sleep 7-8 hours. During this time, the body manages to synthesize the required amount of leptin, which is responsible for appetite. Otherwise, if there is a deficiency, the body requires food to replenish the level of the hormone. Hence the uncontrolled and constant desire to eat.

How to quickly get rid of hunger?

Have you had breakfast, but it’s still a long time before lunch? Hunger haunts you and prevents you from concentrating on work? There are several proven ways to silence it:

1. Simple water, drunk in large quantities, quickly combats it. So, drink a glass of water 30 minutes before meals will allow you to get full faster with fewer calories;
2. Low fat yogurt or kefir. The drinking version of the fermented milk product easily fits into a handbag and will always be at hand;
3. Carry a couple of apples with you, which at any time will help curb discomfort and delight the body with useful substances;
4. A little prune will do a good job of quelling a rumbling stomach and “feeding” the brain. However, it should be remembered that it has a laxative effect and contains enough calories to harm the figure;
5. At home, vegetable soup will come to the rescue. It quickly gives you a feeling of fullness. It is cooked from any vegetables to your taste, but without adding meat, spices or spices. The last ingredients only increase your appetite.

Each person is individual, and what exactly will help him remove hunger faster can only be understood by trial and error. Try all the options and find your optimal one, which will come to your aid at the first attacks of hunger.

Feeling hungry during early pregnancy

The notorious hormones and acceleration of metabolic processes are to blame here. Food is digested and absorbed much faster. At the same time, some pregnant women cannot put anything in their mouths, while others do not part with food or develop strange preferences.

Doctors consider increased appetite to be normal, and selectivity in food as a natural reaction. The expectant mother’s body thereby signals a lack of specific substances.

Doctors note that based on the preferences of the expectant mother, one can determine what she is missing:

• If there is not enough calcium, a woman begins to consume large quantities of dairy and fermented milk products, sometimes chalk;
• With a sodium deficiency, celery, cheese, and seaweed appear in the diet, which the woman may not have tolerated previously;
• Often pregnant women suffer from anemia and lack iron. Therefore, it is not surprising that even supporters of vegetarianism suddenly find themselves on the table with meat products and liver. And also pomegranates and apples.

You shouldn't limit yourself in food if you don't overdo it with weight. “Zhor” usually goes away after the 12th week of pregnancy.

How to reduce hunger in early pregnancy:

• Avoid eating a lot of sour foods, as acid stimulates the appetite, and sweet foods, which cause a spike in blood sugar levels;
• Replace white wheat bread with cereal or bakery products;
• Increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet;
• For breakfast, give preference to cottage cheese and cheeses;
• For a snack, keep dried fruit or a cracker on hand;
• Make your choice in favor of plant carbohydrates rather than animal ones. They are digested more slowly, and the feeling of fullness will last longer;
• Protein is necessary for the formation of the fetus, it takes longer to be absorbed by the body and gives a feeling of fullness for a long time.

Protein-rich foods of animal and plant origin: legumes and dairy products (milk, cottage cheese, kefir, cheese), nuts, meat.

How to overcome the constant feeling of hunger? A clinical nutritionist answers this and other questions:

Whatever the reasons for the feeling of hunger, it should not be tolerated. It is possible and necessary to fight it, because it not only causes moral and physiological discomfort and interferes with enjoying the joys of life, but also causes the development of a number of diseases

It was not the easiest to understand, from the point of view that a person who has nothing to do with biology, physiology, medicine, etc. has difficulty perceiving this kind of information. Therefore, today I will try to simplify the article as much as possible. We will talk about how you can use knowledge of physiology to avoid overeating at moments when you don’t feel hunger and satiety, or when they are barely perceptible.

In fact, with eating disorders, this is a very common situation - we do not feel hungry, we do not feel that it is time to eat, we also do not feel full and cannot stop at the right moment.

Last time, I talked about how this is quite possible, given that we actively suppress hunger when losing weight, and then with the development of bulimia (anorexia, compulsive overeating) we stop feeling full, because psychology comes into force, i.e. eating problems, feelings and emotions. This means that normal physiological reactions go far into the background; we simply don’t hear them behind the heap of our experiences. But! This does not mean that they do not exist, and that we will never again be able to feel a normal feeling of satisfaction after eating, or normal hunger, which can be detected in time. I don’t mean that hunger that is unbearable and forces us to “eat.” Please forgive me for being rude, but this word now maximally reflects what happens when we suppress hunger for a long time with impulses from the cerebral cortex (read “willpower”).

Well, now, as promised, simple but effective recommendations on the topic: “What should I do if I don’t feel hungry or full?”

First question: Are you sure you don’t feel hungry? Quite quite? Or maybe you are ignoring him? Perhaps you are walking down the street and thinking: “It would be nice to eat a chocolate bar now, otherwise I want to eat something!” Oh, no, you can’t, you can’t!” - if so, then you “hear” hunger, but purposefully ignore its voice. For what? To then overeat? Or to lose weight? Or... Well, in general, this is a question for you, look deeper into yourself and be extremely honest!

And one more question: Are you sure you don’t feel full? Quite quite? Or maybe you ignore it? But why? What feelings and emotions make you continue to eat even if your stomach is full? (these questions also all relate to your dialogue with yourself).

Let’s assume that the answer to all questions is “I don’t feel anything!” I do not know what to do!"

The key word is “DO”. Those. If at this stage the feelings of hunger and satiety are lost and their voices are not distinguishable in the general cacophony of thoughts and feelings. Then you need to know that THEY ARE, you just can’t hear them yet, which means you need to do something to make them distinguishable.

The word “do” refers to practice, and you will have to practice with food, no other way! Many people here will have doubts: “I can’t!”, “I don’t know how to eat!”, “what if it doesn’t work out!”, “what if I never hear the feeling of hunger and satiety?” Friends, how do you plan to LEARN to eat (hear hunger, fullness, what you want) if you are not ready to learn? When you go to the pool for the first time, do you immediately know how to swim? When you go to first grade, do you immediately masterfully know how to write, read, and count? Well, a very simple question - as soon as you were born, you immediately knew how to walk and never fell or tripped and ran a marathon?

Those who recover from bulimia (anorexia, compulsive overeating) are those who are committed to the process and are ready to fall and rise, fall and rise, fall and rise, fall and rise... They are the ones who succeed!!! This is a topic beyond the scope of this article, let’s return to ours... feelings of hunger and satiety :)

So there you go! In order for these feelings to return in an adequate form to your life, you need to hear them. Tune in to their wavelength. Don't try to suppress them.

And after setting a goal, proceed to action. It’s simple, I’m not discovering America, I’m not claiming exclusivity - start learning to eat like an ordinary person, adjusted for those physiological phenomena discussed in the previous article. Those. You know a lot. For example, that one meal a day is not physiological, hunger will be excessive, which means there is a high probability of overeating. Eating cookies and sweets alone is not physiological, because they quickly increase the blood sugar level and it also drops quickly, which provokes hunger, plus they do not stretch the walls of the stomach enough for the mechanical receptors in them to signal saturation. You can get enough of salad and chicken breast, but! It takes a lot of time to digest them, which means you will feel satisfied with food after about an hour, because the blood sugar level will rise extremely slowly and the signal to the brain about saturation will not arrive for a long time - are you ready to wait? Breakfast (oh, how much I talk about it :)) is a separate story and sooo important! The level of blood sugar after sleep is low, which means that if it is not increased by eating, the body will feel ill and hard, and in the end it will not develop a feeling “ WantBy There is", and the feeling " Wantre There is».

Constant feeling of hunger can be a symptom of stress, lack of sleep, as well as mental illness. find out reasons for constant hunger.

Why are you hungry?

Behind hunger responds mainly to glucose. When its level in the blood falls, appetite increases, and vice versa - when sugar levels rise, appetite decreases. “Glucose detectors” regularly transmit information to the brain, in particular to the hypothalamus, located in the central part of the brain, about the amount of glucose in the blood.

There is a satiety center that regulates appetite through two connections: neuropeptide Y, which signals hunger and slows metabolism, and neuropeptide CART, which speeds up metabolism while suppressing appetite.

Photo source: daniellehelm / CC BY

The hypothalamus also cooperates with cholecystokinin- a hormone secreted by the walls of the small intestine under the influence of food, and which causes the walls of the stomach to expand, giving a feeling of fullness, - and serotonin– a hormone that blocks cravings for sweets (that is, simple carbohydrates).

The hypothalamus cannot function properly without insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that is responsible for regulating glucose metabolism. Insulin triggers the production of leptin in adipose tissue, a hormone that gives a feeling of fullness, and suppresses the secretion of NPY (a neuropeptide responsible for thirst). Performs the opposite function ghrelin- “hunger hormone”, which is produced in the stomach.

Constant feeling of hunger - reasons

Regular consumption of sweet foods

After eating foods containing simple carbohydrates, the level of glucose in the blood rises sharply, which falls just as quickly in healthy people. This leads to a feeling of hunger, which becomes persistent over time.

Eating food with long breaks

Increased feeling of hunger may appear if you eat food very rarely (less than once every 3-4 hours). Many people are faced with a feeling of “wolf hunger” after this. To reduce appetite, you need to eat regularly (at certain times), 5 meals a day.

Insufficient sleep

Scientists have long proven that lack of sleep causes constant feeling of hunger. In people with lack of sleep, the production of two hormones responsible for the feeling of hunger and fullness increases: leptin And ghrelin.

Leptin is produced in fat cells, and high levels cause lack of appetite. Ghrelin is a hormone responsible for increasing appetite, which is produced in the stomach (usually when it is empty).

Their work is disrupted in case of sleep deficiency. Then, people with sleep deprivation experience a decrease in leptin levels and an increase in ghrelin levels. This causes a significant increase in appetite and a feeling of hunger, even immediately after eating.

Constant stress and constant feeling of hunger

In people who live in conditions of constant stress, the mechanisms responsible for the feeling of hunger and satiety fail. The secretion of neuropeptide Y increases and the production of leptin decreases, which leads to a constant feeling of hunger and faster accumulation of adipose tissue.

In addition, stress increases the concentration of cortisol (a hormone of the adrenal cortex). Its excess leads to abdominal obesity, deposition of fat on the shoulders and insulin resistance.

Stress is also accompanied by increased production of norepinephrine, which is why the uncontrolled appetite for simple carbohydrates, i.e., increases. sweets. In turn, carbohydrates are involved in the production of serotonin, which improves mood—that’s why stress is often consumed with sweets.

Constant feeling of hunger during pregnancy

If a constant feeling of hunger and cravings for snacks appear during pregnancy, there is no reason to worry. An increase in appetite during pregnancy occurs because the developing baby requires more and more nutrients. However, if you experience frequent hunger pangs, make sure you are not developing pregnancy diabetes.

Feeling hungry is a symptom of the disease

Diabetes mellitus type 2

In type 2 diabetes, the constant feeling of hunger is caused by excessive insulin secretion, which leads to an acceleration of the conversion of glucose into glycogen and then into fat. In other words, what you eat is not converted into energy, but only into fat, so the body constantly needs an additional dose of calories.

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is a condition in which the amount of glucose in the blood falls below 55 mg/dL (3.0 mmol/L). This manifests itself as a strong feeling of hunger, weakness, and nausea. Failure to get immediate help can lead to hypoglycemic coma.

Hyperthyroidism

The thyroid gland is a gland that influences the body's metabolism through the secretion of hormones. Hyperfunction of the thyroid gland is accompanied by a decrease in body weight and a constant feeling of hunger, which is associated with an acceleration of metabolic processes.

Polyphagia (gluttony)

Bulimia

People suffering from bulimia feel a constant desire to quickly eat large quantities of high-calorie foods, and then, in fear of obesity, induce vomiting or use laxatives. Periods of attacks of increased appetite and gluttony alternate with periods of very strict diets for weight loss.

Akoriya

This is a mental illness characterized by a lack of feeling of fullness after eating. Patients always complain of a feeling of an empty stomach and they are constantly hungry.

Hyperphagia

Patients with hyperphagia feel the need to continuously swallow. Such a constant feeling of hunger and excessive food consumption can occur when there is damage to the cerebral circulation, in particular, when the blood supply to the satiety center is disrupted (for example, as a result of a head injury). However, this type of injury occurs very rarely.