Excessive hunger: what it can be and how to control it

Excessive hunger can be caused by a diet rich in carbohydrates, increased stress and anxiety, or health problems such as diabetes, for example.

However, it is important to highlight that increased hunger is normal, especially during adolescence, when the young person is growing rapidly and there are major hormonal changes in the body.

Furthermore, eating too quickly also prevents the hormones responsible for satiety from communicating at the right time between the stomach and the brain, which can increase the feeling of hunger.

Here are 5 situations that can cause hunger:

1. Dehydration

The lack of water in the body is often confused with the feeling of hunger. Remembering to drink plenty of water can solve the problem of hunger, and paying attention to small signs of dehydration can also help identify the problem.

In general, having dry skin, chapped lips, brittle hair and very yellow urine are easy to identify signs that reflect a lack of water in the body. Find out how much water you need per day.

2. Excess flour and sugar

Eating a lot of white flour, sugar and foods rich in refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, biscuits, savory snacks and sweets, causes hunger shortly afterwards because these foods are quickly processed, not satiating the body.

These foods cause spikes in blood glucose, which is blood sugar, causing the body to release a lot of insulin to lower this sugar quickly. However, by reducing blood glucose, hunger reappears.

Watch the following video and find out what to do to reduce your craving for sweets:

3. Excessive stress and poor sleep

Being constantly stressed, anxious or sleeping poorly causes hormonal changes that lead to increased hunger. The hormone leptin, which gives satiety, is reduced while the hormone ghrelin increases, which is responsible for the feeling of hunger.

Additionally, there is an increase in cortisol, the stress hormone, which stimulates fat production. See what to do to combat stress and anxiety.

4. Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar is always high because cells cannot capture it to produce energy. As cells cannot use sugar, there is a feeling of constant hunger, especially if the person eats mainly carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, cakes, sugar, fruits and sweets, are the nutrients responsible for increasing blood sugar, and diabetics cannot use it adequately without the use of medication and insulin. Know the symptoms of diabetes.

5. Hyperthyroidism

In hyperthyroidism there is an increase in general metabolism, which causes problems such as excessive hunger, increased heart rate and weight loss, mainly due to the loss of muscle mass.

Constant hunger appears as a way to stimulate food consumption to generate enough energy to maintain a high metabolism. Treatment can be done with the use of medication, iodine therapy or surgery. See more about hyperthyroidism.

How to control excess hunger

Some strategies that can be used to combat excess hunger are:

• Avoid foods rich in sugar, such as cakes, cookies, sweets or ice cream, for example, as they quickly increase blood sugar, which then also decreases quickly, causing an increase in hunger;
• Increase fiber-rich foods, such as wheat and oat bran, greens, legumes, fruits with skins and pomace, and seeds such as chia, linseed and sesame, as fiber increases the feeling of satiety. See a list of foods rich in fiber;
• Eat protein-rich foods at each meal, such as eggs, meat, fish, chicken and cheese, for example, as proteins are nutrients that make you feel very satiated;
• Consume good fats, such as extra virgin olive oil, chestnuts, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, chia seeds, flaxseed, sesame and fatty fish such as sardines, tuna and salmon;
• Practice physical activity dailybecause it helps release endorphins in the brain, hormones that give a feeling of well-being, relax, improve mood and reduce anxiety and the desire to eat.

However, if symptoms of excessive hunger persist, it is important to consult an endocrinologist to evaluate possible hormonal changes or the presence of a disease.

Watch in the video below everything you can do to avoid getting hungry: