Study links Alcoholism to hunger hormone

Most people are in the habit of having their meals at regular timings during the day.But have you ever wondered what makes us hungry at mealtime? Well scientists may have the answer to that question. They believe that a hormone called gherlin plays a key role in increasing appetite, slowing metabolism and decreasing the body’s ability to burn fat.This hormone is secreted by cells lining the stomach and upper part of the small intestine.It is also found in smaller amounts in the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, kidney, and placenta.Its levels are found to increase before meals and decrease thereafter thus influencing appetite. In essence, ghrelin appears to be at least partially responsible for letting the body know when it is hungry and for keeping the body informed about the energy balance of the brain and the body.

 A recent study conducted by Jerlhag et al. at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden examines how gherlin  influences the desire to eat and consume alcohol could be switched off to control drinking problems. The results, published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, showed that mice injected with ghrelin and then given the choice of alcohol or water to drink, were more likely to choose alcohol. At the same time, mice treated with ghrelin antagonists, as well as knockout mice (mice with the hormone’s receptor removed), proved resistant to the effects of alcohol.

Faculty of 1000 Biology reviewer Kent Berridge of the University of Michigan says the ghrelin-injected mice showed more than a typical appetite for calories in choosing alcohol and the findings might influence treatment strategies for alcoholism.

Professor Berridge says, “These results seem to suggest a role for the effects of ghrelin on the brain in the motivation for alcohol consumption.

“Posted via news provided by Eureka Alert,a service of AAAS”.