Ghrelin is the opposite hormone to leptin.

It does not directly cause your body to store fat.

But it causes enough problems with weight loss and self-control.

Ghrelin is a hormone created and released by the stomach. It’s probably the reason why appetite suppressants are created in the first place.

It is called the hunger hormone because it sends the signal to your brain that you need to eat.

If this hormone is increased, you will feel hungrier. If it is decreased, you will not feel as hungry, regardless of how much food you actually have in your stomach.

Causes of Increase and Decrease

Believe it or not, it is sleep.

Medical scientists from Stanford and other universities found people who consistently slept five hours or less per night had on average about 15% more Ghrelin and 15% less leptin levels than those who slept 8-hour nights.

They also demonstrated the less you sleep, the more you weigh, and the higher your BMI, which means the higher your likelihood of premature death from any cause.

With high levels of “The Hunger Hormone”, you can eat and never feel satiated

When I hear my clients talk about cravings for food, I ask how much sleep they get.

The answer is always something like, “Sleep? What is this thing you speak of?”

So if you are trying hard to eat right but find it very difficult because you experience bouts of voracious appetite, there’s nothing wrong with your willpower.

In fact, I am anti-willpower when it comes to weight loss.

The cause is Ghrelin and the cause for the increase for Ghrelin is lack of sleep.

Find a way to solve those two things and you will see a reduction in appetite.

It controls your appetite.

When it is created, your brain gets the signal you are satisfied and don’t need to eat.

Excessive Hunger Getting In The Way

I don’t like the idea of only eating less to lose weight.

But for many people I talk to, they have bouts of extreme hunger. And it can be overwhelming.

Too little of this hormone, and you can have an almost complete inability to lose weight.

Just because you’re hungry all the time.

What Affects It?

Low calorie diets.

That’s the main culprit.

Leptin is triggered by receptors in the stomach stretching when food fills it up.

But only up to a certain point.

So, overeating is not a way to get “excess leptin”.

High Fructose Corn Syrup.

As far as leptin goes, it suppresses leptin

And is in almost all food today.

It has completely replaced sugar.

And it’s in “natural” food products and “diet” food products as well.

Not to mention “kids” food products.

It is the most difficult substance to avoid because it is in everything.

Even condiments like:

• Ketchup…
• Worcestershire Sauce…
• A1 Steak Sauce…
• Dips…
• Salad dressings…
• Fruit juices…
• Gatorade (and drinks like it)
• and all sodas…

Lack of sleep

This is a new branch of study but the data supporting it is growing.

Medical scientists from Stanford and other universities found people who consistently slept five hours or less per night had, on average, about 15% less leptin than those who slept 8 hour nights.

They also had about 15% more ghrelin (the opposing hormone which causes hunger).

They also demonstrated the less you sleep, the more you weigh.

There is also some new research about the production of this “I’m full” hormone during sleep.

During sleep, melatonin is created.

When melatonin interacts with insulin, it increases leptin and decreases appetite.