Ghrelin Hormone: Its Effects on Hunger, Satiety, and Obesity
The Triggering Mechanism of Metabolism and Hormonal Balance
Ghrelin hormone is an important hormone that creates feelings of hunger and satiety in the body, determining a person's rate of feeling full and appetite. This hormone, which focuses on activating the reward mechanism with the food we consume, is among the most fundamental components of obesity. This protein-structured hormone, produced in the stomach and consisting of 28 amino acids, does not show any effect regardless of its quantity when produced alone.
The ghrelin hormone needs to be activated to change the body's system and metabolism. If we liken this situation to a weapon, ghrelin is like a trigger; however, a special enzyme called 'ghrelin o-acetyltransferase' is needed for this trigger to work and for the safety catch to be overcome. Without this enzyme, the ghrelin hormone cannot perform its functions.
After being activated by this enzyme, the hormone reaches the receptors in the hypothalamus region of the brain. Here, it begins to dominate the areas that stimulate growth hormone and happiness hormones. For this reason, ghrelin can be directly related to obesity. If ghrelin is not produced, or if it is not produced and activated by the enzyme, or if it cannot be perceived by the receptors, the feeling of hunger does not occur.
In obesity surgery, completely suppressing this hormone with medication is not currently seen as possible. Ghrelin affects not only hunger but also growth hormone, the heart's working system, and the sense of motivation. If the hormone is completely suppressed, depression, problems in the bone marrow and skeletal systems, and various metabolic deficiencies can occur.
Intensive studies are currently being conducted to suppress the enzyme that activates ghrelin hormone. If the feeling of hunger can be controlled by suppressing this enzyme, great progress can be made in obesity treatment. However, these medications are still in the research phase; because blocking the enzyme carries the risk of bringing about all metabolic problems due to ghrelin deficiency.
Another approach is to affect the receptors in the hypothalamus. However, this is a quite complex pharmacological process. While medications need to cross the blood-brain barrier to reach the relevant region, it is also necessary to manage the negative effects on the body's reward mechanism and cardiovascular balance.
The effectiveness of injections such as semaglutide and liraglutide, used in diabetes treatment today, is noteworthy in this regard. These substances can create a feeling of satiety by increasing the GLP-1 effect in the intestines and can suppress ghrelin secretion. They can also prevent the excessive secretion of ghrelin hormone by slowing down gastric emptying.
In conclusion, hunger and an insatiable feeling are conditions that affect many areas of life. Instead of uncontrolled greed and a desire for possession; adopting an unexpecting, satisfied, and controlled structure can be considered a factor that supports both physical health and happiness in social relationships.