![]() ![]() ![]() A slice of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting probably gets a yumminess score of 5/5, whereas just carrots alone would get a 2/5. It also totally matters how appealing your food is! The next system that signals from the body to the brain is the hedonic system, reporting on how palatable your food is. Of course, if our eating behaviour was based on fullness and nutrition only, the entire dieting industry would cease to exist. How much sugar did we have? What about fats? Did we get enough protein? What do we need more or less of? Other neurons in the digestive tract will relay chemical cues to the brain, reporting on the nutritional value of your last meal. Like a hypothetical waistband telling your brain we’re reaching capacity as the stomach expands. Stretch receptors will sense how full you are - literally. ![]() At the same time, there are nerves in the gut that monitor the contents of the stomach and intestine. If there isn’t enough fuel in the body to make up for your energy expenditure, hormones called ghrelin and leptin signal a part of the brain called the hypothalamus to increase food intake and energy storage. The first and most logical process is homeostatic regulation, which focuses on your energy balance. Your hunger (or lack thereof) is regulated through homeostatic, sensory, and hedonic feedback. Somehow your brain knows when you’re full. Do you ever wonder how you know when to stop eating? It’s more than just the uncomfortable pinch of your waistband digging into your skin.
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