Why is it that it takes few seconds for our body to decide that it’s had enough water not to be thirsty, but several minutes to recognize that no more food is needed cuz it’s not hungry?
In: Biology
Biochemist here with speciality in hormones. When you are hungry your gut releases a hormone known as ghrelin which signals that it’s time to eat. When you start eating, leptin, a hormone that is produced by fat, checks your fat supply and if it is sufficient (so that you don’t die of starvation), is released from your fat cells to act on your brain to tell you to stop eating and to induce a feeling of being full. This usually takes around 20 minutes for it to enter the bloodstream and act on your brain. So I always advise people if they want to have seconds, wait 20 minutes, and if you are still hungry after then you good to go, otherwise you may just overeat. Leptin not functioning properly is linked to diseases such as type 2 diabetes etc. so it’s a pretty important hormone. Hope that helps!
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