Patient-Friendly Explanation

Ghrelin is often called the hunger hormone because it rises before meals and signals the brain that it is time to eat. Its levels fall after eating and stay lower for several hours. Lack of sleep, stress, and some weight-loss diets can keep ghrelin levels high, making hunger harder to control.

Clinical Definition

Ghrelin is a 28-amino-acid peptide produced mainly by gastric endocrine cells that binds to the growth hormone secretagogue receptor to stimulate appetite and food intake. Circulating ghrelin rises during fasting and falls after meals, and its levels increase during weight loss, an adaptation thought to defend the body against energy deficit. Chronic sleep restriction and psychological stress raise ghrelin and lower the satiety hormone leptin, promoting increased food intake.

Why It Matters

Rising ghrelin levels during weight loss are one reason hunger intensifies and weight regain is common after dieting. The NuLifeCare Singapore medical weight management programme accounts for these hormonal adaptations to help patients sustain their results.