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
Feeling full is complicated and one of the reasons there’s no magic pill for weight loss.
Scientists are studying a variety of ways the body signals when it feels full. For example, one is called the “Ileal Brake.” Basically, there are sensors/receptors in your ~~ileal~~ ileum (the final part of your small intestine). When food and nutrients, particularly fats, are detected here, your body reports that it “feels full.” If you think about it, it’s a nice evolutionary measure. We eat until we know fats and nutrients have not just filled our stomach, but our small intestine.
Because it takes time to get from your stomach to the end of your small intestine, you can often overeat before you feel full.
There are other mechanisms at play, but this is a good example of how our body detects it has eaten enough and how it can lead to delays and overeating.
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