How To Increase Your Appetite

How To Increase Your Appetite

While some people are interested in learning about natural foods to increase the appetite, others are concerned about the question if artificial sweeteners like aspartame and saccharin can stimulate appetite or not. While we are not aware of studies that have shown an increase in food consumption or body weight in relation to artificial sweeteners, it is not clear if they can trigger increasing appetite.

Appetite regulation is a very complex process, which involves hormones, the nervous system, our brain and the gastrointestinal tract. The neurotransmitter serotonin has been found to produce feelings of fullness and a reduction of appetite for food.

A hormone that has been found to motivate people to eat is insulin. It triggers hunger and has been found in high levels in the bodies of obese people.

Another hormone having an effect on our appetite is leptin. It is believed to cause fat loss and decreasing appetite. Other hormones involved in the reproduction cycle have been shown to increase appetite during menstruation.

Some herbs that have been found to increase appetite are parsley, ginseng, garlic and horse radish. Vitamins that increase appetite are thiamine, zinc, niacin and the b vitamin complex. There are also nutritional supplements available that increase appetite in order to gain weight naturally.