On the one hand, appetite is not a bad thing - after all, it is a natural and physiological desire of the body. On the other hand, when the processes responsible for its regulation malfunction, things start to get unpleasant. Do you have this problem and think to yourself, "why am I always hungry?" Excessive appetite, commonly known as ravenous appetite, can mess with our health, contributing in the long run to the development of overweight, obesity, and diseases associated with excessive body weight. Where does it come from? What processes are responsible for appetite regulation? What simple changes can somewhat curb excessive appetite? You will find the answers to these questions in the article!
What is appetite and excessive craving?
According to the Oxford dictionary, appetite is a natural desire to satisfy a bodily need, especially for food. Note the word "natural" in the definition - it is very important, because as long as our body functions properly, appetite is a desirable, natural, and physiological phenomenon. The problem in this case will be a lack of appetite or, conversely, excessive craving - the so-called ravenous appetite, meaning constant hunger and uncontrollable appetite.
Excessive appetite - fundamental mistakes
Where exactly does this uncontrollable appetite come from? Why, despite just having eaten a meal, do you still feel constantly hungry? Before I get into slightly more complex matters, let's focus on the basics, because it might be that your body is functioning well, but your eating habits are not optimal, and this manifests as constant hunger. In this context, the most important thing is to ensure regularity and satiety of meals. Remember that these two behavioral aspects are crucial in regulating appetite. You can take care of them through the following practices.
Pre-set meal times - let's assume you eat your first meal at 6:00 AM and your last at 8:00 PM, meaning your "eating window" lasts 14 hours. If you eat, for example, 5 meals a day, it's best to consume them every 2.5-3 hours - regardless of whether it's a weekday or a weekend. Unfortunately, many people don't have time to eat from morning to afternoon due to work, studies, or duties - and what happens then? The body remembers, compensating for all the appetite accumulated for the evening hours, and this way, excessive appetite is activated, and we "devour" food in the evening hours.
Ensuring meal balancing, protein, fiber, and fat intake - regardless of your diet's goal, consuming at least 25 g/day of fiber and 1 g per kilogram of body weight of protein daily is important for both health and appetite regulation. Let me tell you about this using the example of breakfast oatmeal:
Look at these two options. In the first, there is a lack of fat and protein, and after such a meal, we have no right to feel full; an hour later, excessive appetite will knock on your brain - this way, the constant feeling of hunger will not leave us. And below? We've added protein from milk, fiber from berries, flaxseed, and nuts, and fat from the last two ingredients - such a meal, in addition to being a real bomb of health-promoting substances, will also satiate you calmly for several hours.
Introducing food hygiene rules - this is unfortunately a very often overlooked aspect. Studies show that people who eat mindfully and chew each bite thoroughly reach a state of satiety faster. Imagine you have the same meal on your plate on two different days - let it be the healthy version of oatmeal from the point above. On Monday, you consume it quickly, under stress, with your phone in hand, and swallow it after 5 bites - your brain barely has time to register that it will receive new energy, and you're already finishing eating... On Tuesday, you have a relaxed day, you eat in peace, your phone is put aside, you focus on the meal, and you chew each bite 20-30 times - in this case, your body is ready and knows what is happening, so you will reach satiety faster, which potentially will make it easier for you to last until the next meal. As a curiosity, I'll also tell you that in one study, introducing chewing each bite of a meal at least 30 times resulted in very significant benefits in terms of BMI reduction after several months [1]. So, in addition to improving the feeling of satiety, we get what many people expect - more effective weight reduction.
Taking care of the energy density of the diet - energy density is the amount of kcal per 1 or 100 g of product. The lower the density, the generally better. For example: raspberries have 52 kcal per 100 grams (very low energy density), while raisins have 300 kcal per 100 grams (moderate energy density). Assuming you want to provide 400-500 kcal in one meal, by using products with low energy density, your plate can weigh even 0.4-0.5 kg (!), while by relying on products with high energy density, you will generate the same caloric value by putting a maximum of 0.1-0.2 kg of food on the plate. In such a situation, without a doubt - consuming the first option will give you greater satiety, and thus less appetite in later hours.
Constant feeling of hunger at the molecular level
Constant hunger at the molecular level is quite a difficult topic. Look at the figure above, but don't worry, we won't analyze it in depth, that's not the point here. I just wanted to show you that appetite control at the organismal level is extremely complicated and controlled by dozens of systems. Your appetite is regulated by:
the brain - especially the brain area called the hypothalamus, where the hunger and satiety center regulates metabolic signals and modulates your eating behavior. It is the hypothalamus that sends the signal "stop! that's enough food";
leptin - a hormone produced by fat tissue cells, which plays a significant role in regulating feelings of hunger and satiety. In the body, it is transported with blood to the brain, affecting the feeling of satiety;
ghrelin - commonly called the hunger hormone;
intestinal hormones - including cholecystokinin, peptide YY, pancreatic polypeptide, which through many different mechanisms (e.g., inhibiting gastric peristalsis, stimulating bile production) transmit satiety signals to the brain;
insulin - a hormone produced in the pancreas, whose increased level (in obesity, insulin resistance, or type 2 diabetes) may be associated with an increased feeling of hunger [3].
And my point is that:
- in obesity, leptin resistance develops, resulting in impaired hunger and satiety control;
- in insulin resistance, impaired insulin secretion by the pancreas can disrupt appetite;
- in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), hyperinsulinemia (elevated insulin levels in the blood), commonly associated with the disease, also disrupts appetite.
And one could go on, because appetite control is such a complex process that most ailments or pathophysiological conditions will be able to influence it, directly or indirectly. Unfortunately, often without stabilizing the disease or pathophysiological condition you are struggling with, it will be very difficult to lose weight, because one or more of the many systems responsible for appetite control simply malfunction - even if your meals are perfectly balanced.
Summary
Remember that appetite is a completely normal and physiological desire. However, excessive appetite or its complete absence is not normal. This can be caused by errors in nutrition and meal balancing, or by diseases and pathophysiological conditions that impair one or more systems responsible for appetite control. A constant feeling of hunger can long-term affect excessive body weight and thus increase the risk of many diseases.
Learning healthy eating habits and meal balancing or bringing a disease into remission, or even complete cure, will curb your ravenous appetite and allow you to control your body weight to a greater extent. And if you want to say goodbye to a constant feeling of hunger and are looking for products that are high in fiber and protein, and thus will keep you full for a long time, be sure to check out our brand's offer, which includes:
Bibliography
-
Hidaka N, Kurose S, Takao N, Miyauchi T, Nakajima S, Yoshiuchi S, Fujii A, Takahashi K, Tsutsumi H, Habu D, Taniguchi K, Kimura Y. Effect of mastication evaluation and intervention on body composition and biochemical indices in female patients with obesity: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Endocr Disord. 2023 Jun 21;23(1):134. doi: 10.1186/s12902-023-01379-2. PMID: 37340315; PMCID: PMC10283287.
-
Yu JH, Kim MS. Molecular mechanisms of appetite regulation. Diabetes Metab J. 2012 Dec;36(6):391-8. doi: 10.4093/dmj.2012.36.6.391. Epub 2012 Dec 12. PMID: 23275931; PMCID: PMC3530708.
-
Flint A, Gregersen NT, Gluud LL, Møller BK, Raben A, Tetens I, Verdich C, Astrup A. Associations between postprandial insulin and blood glucose responses, appetite sensations and energy intake in normal weight and overweight individuals: a meta-analysis of test meal studies. Br J Nutr. 2007 Jul;98(1):17-25. doi: 10.1017/S000711450768297X. Epub 2007 May 25. PMID: 17524176.
-
Obradovic M, Sudar-Milovanovic E, Soskic S, Essack M, Arya S, Stewart AJ, Gojobori T, Isenovic ER. Leptin and Obesity: Role and Clinical Implication. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021 May 18;12:585887. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2021.585887. PMID: 34084149; PMCID: PMC8167040.
