Ghrelin and Dessert in the News
We’ve all been there. You finish a very satisfying meal at a restaurant or family gathering and would normally move on to another activity, but wait, here comes Aunt Millie’s famous apple crisp with vanilla ice cream or a signature hot fudge brownie sundae—umm, maybe there is a little more room.
Ghrelin is in the news again with a new study that links the hunger hormone to an increase in reward-based eating. The researchers fromCarletonUniversityinCanadacompared the eating behavior of rats with working ghrelin systems and those with ghrelin systems that were no longer working. Those with working ghrelin systems found room for more dessert after a filling meal.
In a society with plenty of tempting foods available, ghrelin’s impact may be much larger than when food is scarce. This research could lead to obesity treatments in the future, especially for reward-based overeating.
Read more in Science Daily.
