Appetite
Stomach
Ghrelin
The "hunger" hormone that rises before meals to make you eat.
What it does
- Stimulates appetite and food-seeking
- Rises when the stomach is empty
Too much
- Chronically raised ghrelin (e.g. with poor sleep) can increase appetite
Too little
- Falls after eating
- low levels after some weight-loss surgery reduce hunger
Keeping it balanced: Protein-rich meals, fibre and adequate sleep help keep hunger signals in check.
Sources & references
Think a hormone may be out of balance?
The symptoms of hormonal excess and deficiency are non-specific — tiredness, weight change, low mood and poor sleep have many everyday causes. No hormone problem can be self-diagnosed from a symptom list.
Diagnosis needs blood tests interpreted alongside your history, sometimes repeated at set times of day because many hormones vary hour to hour. Speak to a GP if symptoms are persistent; seek urgent care for severe symptoms such as confusion, fainting, chest pain or extreme thirst with frequent urination.
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