Know Your Stomach, Lose Weight Healthily

The Working Principle of an Organ and the Hunger Mechanism

The stomach, which appears to be a simple structure from the outside, is actually a massive organ that works tirelessly to digest everything we eat and drink. Regardless of whether the food we consume is acidic or alkaline, it strives to process all toxic substances and supportive elements within it. The stomach brings ice-cold foods to its own temperature, while also lowering the temperature of hot soups and meals to be digested.

This organ, with its secreted acids, enzymes like pepsin and pepsinogen, brings together proteins, fats, sweets, or sour substances to form chyme. It maintains this entire process like a factory working 24 hours a day to send food to the intestines. Medications and other substances taken into the body are attempted to be converted into a cumulative, porridge-like consistency in the stomach. However, as the stomach increases its acid content to perform these tasks, risky situations can sometimes arise.

Under normal circumstances, the stomach does not damage its own tissue, but when there is a weakness or problem, it can begin to digest its own lining. This condition leads to gastritis and ulcers; an increase in acid due to stress and vagal activity can even cause the stomach to perforate. If this perforation or ulcer hits a blood vessel, severe stomach bleeding can occur. The stomach is also anatomically very special; it is supported by two artery and two vein systems, similar to the vascular systems going to the testes and the brain. So much so that after eating, about one-third of the body's blood gathers around the stomach to support the work of this dedicated organ.

Alongside the stomach's working power, the ghrelin hormone, which surgeons focus on particularly in obesity operations, is of critical importance. Produced in the fundus region of the stomach, this hormone is one of the cornerstones determining a person's feeling of hunger and satiety, their insatiability, or how quickly they feel full. This protein-based hormone, consisting of 28 amino acids, can also trigger the body's reward mechanism.

Ghrelin hormone alone does not show any effect when produced; it needs the 'ghrelin O-acyltransferase' enzyme, which functions like a safety valve, to work. Without this enzyme, the hormone cannot be activated, and the feeling of hunger does not occur. However, it is not currently possible to use a medication that completely suppresses this hormone. This is because ghrelin not only manages hunger; it also triggers growth hormone, supports the heart's working system, and regulates the sense of motivation. The complete absence of this hormone can lead to depression, deficiencies in the bone marrow system and body metabolism.

Currently, instead of directly suppressing the ghrelin hormone, intensive studies are being conducted on medications that suppress the enzyme that activates it. If in the future the feeling of hunger can be managed by controlling this enzyme, it is thought that significant progress will be made in combating obesity.