How does the brain control appetite?
Published on January 4, 2017 at 8:30 AM · No Comments
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Professor KimTHOUGHT LEADERS SERIES...insight from the world’s leading experts
An interview with Professor Kim conducted by April Cashin-Garbutt, MA (Cantab)
Why is it important to understand how our appetite is controlled and influenced by the body and brain?
Energy balance between energy intake and expenditure in our bodies is important for maintaining energy homeostasis to keep our bodies functioning properly. The appetite determines how much we eat, the energy intake, by communication between the brain and body.
The dysregulation of the appetite is associated with many diseases. For example, non-balanced dietary habit results in abnormal regulation of appetite, which leads to obesity, one of the main risk factors for diabetes and its complications.
Also, adverse health consequences that stem from eating disorders are more severe than people usually think. Therefore, the studies on appetite control and its mechanisms are of importance in providing therapeutic approaches for the treatment of obesity-related diseases and eating disorders.
How much was previously known about the way the region of the brain called the hypothalamus senses sugar levels in the blood and regulates food uptake?
The hypothalamus maintains energy homeostasis by regulating homeostatic food intake. The specific hypothalamic neurons sense nutritional and hormonal signals from the blood. It has been reported that the hypothalamus increases appetite by sensing low glucose availability, and decreases it under glucose repletion.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20170104/How-does-the-brain-control-appetite.aspx
