Brain Signaling for Food

By George Han, Sean Feng

Essential part of life, nutrition, vitamins

Brain signals the quantity intake of food

Affected by smell, sight, and memory

Brain turned on by taste and emotion

INTRO

Hypothalamus signals nerves in the stomach

Determines specific appetite

Amino acids (protein), fatty acids (fat), glucose (carbohydrates)

Insulin hormone sends brain message

Low glycogen level/Low blood sugar levelStimulate activity in hypothalamusIncreasing sweet/starchy food desire

Ghrelin/Leptin circulationNPY

Different types of foodSweet/StarchyHigh caloriesFat food

Leptin levels increase= cause of fullnessInhibit firing of NPY

Galanin fat connectionStores up fatEveningEnough calories to last through night

Food digested feeds body cells

Chlecystokinin (CCK)

Causing fullness, less appetiteBulimia

Over eating disorderBinge purge syndromeCCK mechanism doesn’t function

AnorexicsSuffering from extreme thinCCK mechanism is oversized

To sum up…Human body has a complex system that signals our body for hunger.Brain plays a big part of our survival instinct. Bulimia and anorexia are caused by CCK malfunction.

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