the hunger hormone that turns people into hangrier versions of themselves may also lead to foolish financial decisions, according to a new study.
the research, which is being presented this week at the endocrine society’s annual meeting, found that ghrelin — also known as the “hunger hormone” — may also alter the brain’s ability to make certain decisions. “our results indicate that ghrelin might play a broader role than previously acknowledged in human reward-related behaviour and decision making, such as monetary choices,”
said franziska plessow
, the study’s co-investigator and an assistant professor of medicine at massachusetts general hospital and harvard medical school in boston.
ghrelin is primarily responsible for letting the brain know when it is time to eat, but the hormone has also been found to have an influence on the pathways that regulate the processing of rewards. levels of the hormone rise and fall throughout the day depending on a person’s metabolism and the amount of food they consume.
the hormone
, which is produced in the gut in response to a lack of sustenance, travels through the bloodstream to the hypothalamus, a small area at the base of the brain where it communicates the need to seek out food. the higher the levels of ghrelin, the hungrier a person gets. the lower the levels, the fuller they feel and the less likely they are to seek out food. the hormone has also been found to play a role in tase sensation and the sleep-waking cycle.