120 likes | 260 Views
So What is Ghrelin? Going for the 3 Increases: Increase in Health, Increase in Happiness & Increase in Energy. Strategies for Success in Weight Management By: James J. Messina, Ph.D. What is Ghrelin. Hormone secreted by the stomach
E N D
So What is Ghrelin?Going for the 3 Increases: Increase in Health, Increase in Happiness & Increase in Energy Strategies for Success in Weight Management By: James J. Messina, Ph.D.
What is Ghrelin • Hormone secreted by the stomach • Novel-hormone-releasing peptide found in hypothalamus & Stomach • Appetite-stimulating hormone • Sends “feed me” messages to brain • Part of the body’s built-in defense mechanism to protect against famine & starvation
What causes increase in Ghrelin • Dieting • Other forms of weight loss • Normal adaptive function of body to maintain itself • When lose weight-body senses this as famine • Triggers survival mechanism to keep body weight constant • SEE A PICTURE OF THIS NEXT SLIDE
What happens when Ghrelin Increases? • Metabolism drops • Person feels hungry • Person east more • Will power can only forestall the urge to eat more for only a limited time
Why Gastric-bypass Surgery Short-circuits Normal Body Response • Disables the ghrelin producing cells in stomach • Cells in stomach that produce ghrelin become inactive • This happens when these cells are no longer exposed to food in stomach • The ghrelin cells “go to sleep” when deprived contact with ingested nutrients
Research reported in New England Journal of Medicine – May 23, 2002 • Conducted by VA Puget Sound Health Center & University of Washington – led by Dr. David Cummings -Endocrinologist • Compared blood samples after six month period of time of two groups of obese patients • 13 dieters & 5 gastric-bypass patients • Dieters were on low-fat, low-calorie diet
Findings of Study • Dieters lost 17% of their body weight but their ghrelin level increased 24% • Gastic-bypass patients lost 36% of their body weight & their ghrelin levels fell 72% lower than those in diet group
Explanation for Difference in Ghrelin Level with Gastric-bypass • Objective of Gastric-bypass is to shrink stomach to only 5% of original size by rewiring course of food through digestive system • Tiny new stomach pouch can only hold 2 teaspoons of food-which travels into first part of small intestines • Permanent absence of food in rest of stomach ultimately suppresses ghrelin production
Future of Weight Loss Efforts • Development of ghrelin antagonist-to block production of ghrelin • However, such a drug will never be enough since we know that Binges are often unrelated to hunger or sensation of stomach emptiness but rather to environmental cues soooooooo • Will always need in addition: Healthy eating & physical activity
More Information on Ghrelin • Check out the links on Ghrelin under Hot Topics on our links section at: http://www.coping.org/balanced/strategies/resource.htm#Ghrelin