- The sensations of hunger and satiety are regulated in our body by hormones.
- A malfunction of these can lead us to eat more food than necessary, thereby increasing our weight.
- According to some studies, certain foods can help reduce the feeling of hunger or make us feel more satiated.
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Eating is essential for our health and survival.
Thus, the feeling of appetite is a response of our body. to ensure the necessary intake of energy to continue functioning. In a way it can be like telling our body “you are on reserve and need to stop to refuel”.
The way we tell our body to eat is regulated by signals that share information between our stomach and our brain. Our hypothalamus regulates the hunger and satiety centers.
So that our body knows that it is hungry or that it no longer wants to eat different hormones come into play in this regard. In this scenario, two of them are key: ghrelin and leptin.
On the one hand, ghrelin is the appetite related hormone and is responsible for letting our body know that it is hungry.
Read more: 14 foods that will help you reduce bad cholesterol
For its part, leptin has the function of informing our body of the state of its nutrient level, that is, the body’s energy reserves (fats). It will be the responsible for reducing food intake and promoting energy expenditure.
But the truth is that, although eating is inevitable to live, when tries to control weight, our level of “hunger” can make this task more or less easy for us.
As some research points out, higher levels of leptin have been detected in obese individuals compared to individuals of normal weight. Some studies also point to the possibility of even developing a resistance to this hormone. This can cause the body to lose its energy. the feeling of hunger is not regulated normally and one continues eating despite being full.
According to scientific evidence, certain foods can have an effect on ghrelin, reducing its activity and thus the sensation of appetite. Other products can promote the sensation of satiety.
Below we have compiled 6 foods that help to calm your hunger, as demonstrated by several scientific studies.
Boiled potatoes
To satisfy our hunger there is nothing better than eating foods that help increase the feeling of satiety.
According to the Common Foods Satiety Index, boiled potatoes are one of the most filling foods.
Yeah If we want to reduce our calorie intake, it is best to cool the potatoes once they have been boiled. This process will make the potato behave like a “resistant starch” and our body will treat it as fiber instead of carbohydrate, thus absorbing fewer calories.
Eggs
Eggs can help you reduce your feeling of appetite and eat less during the day
In a research published inNutrition Researchthe consequences of eating two different breakfasts were analyzed. One group was eating eggs, while the other ate a bagel in the morning.
According to the findings, those who who ate eggs for breakfast showed a lower response to ghrelin, decreased feeling of appetiteor three hours later and ate fewer calories within the next 24 hours.
Foods rich in fiber
Fiber is a important regulator of ghrelin levelsaccording to a 2009 Canadian study.
Both fruits and vegetables and whole grains are an important source of fiber. In addition, the consumption of Legumes can also help improve your silhouette.
A study published in 2012 found that by For each consumption of 10 grams of soluble fiber, the rate of abdominal fat accumulation decreased by 3.73% during the 5 years that a group of obese women were followed.
Spinach and other foods rich in thylakoids
Thylakoids are found in the membranes of green plants, such as spinach, and according to science they seem to help to reduce appetite, increasing the feeling of satiety.
This was indicated by a group of Swedish researchers in 2015 after a study on the diet of obese women.
While one study group was given a thylakoid supplement based on spinach extract during breakfast, another group received a placebo. Patients who took the thylakoid supplementation showed reduced appetite for the rest of the day.
According to the report, these suppressive effects of hunger of the thylakoids appear to be related to an altered secretion of appetite-regulating hormones, including ghrelin.
Almonds
Killing hunger between meals with almonds can be very effective.
According to a 2013 study, this dried fruit as a snack can contribute to reducing appetite and the feeling of hunger, while not contributing to weight gain.
According to the results, taking almonds as a snack or snack improves fasting and postprandial blood glucose, insulin and lipid profiles, without increasing the risk of weight gain and body fat.
Oysters and other foods rich in zinc
Zinc is a mineral that works on leptinwhich is responsible for sending a signal of satiety to your brain. According to some research, overweight people tend to have higher levels of leptin and lower levels of zinc than other people.
In addition to this, zinc is an essential element in some processes in our body. The problem is that our body does not store this mineral, so you should make sure to eat foods rich in it.
Seafood is a rich source of zinc that also provides few calories. Especially Oysters contain a higher percentage of zinc than any other food.
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