4 Ways To Suppress Ghrelin & Finally Get Your Hunger Under Control

Do you always feel hungry (even shortly after eating a meal)? It could be a sign that your hunger hormones are off. That’s because most of our internal cues telling us that we’re hungry or full are governed by hormones. And many habits—not just what you eat—have the power to influence your appetite. 

Ghrelin1 is a hormone that originates in your stomach. It’s released when the stomach is empty and stops when the stomach is stretched and supposedly full of food. (Leptin is a hormone that works in opposition to ghrelin and signals fullness). 

When released, ghrelin travels through the bloodstream and into the brain—which increases your appetite and tells you it’s time to eat. It’s typically the highest before eating and lowest an hour after eating.

But a poor diet, stress management, and sleep can all cause an increase in ghrelin levels, even when you aren’t physiologically hungry. 

A 2020 study found that people eating high-protein diets reduced appetite2 (including hunger, desire to eat, and how much people thought they could eat) and boosted feelings of satisfaction after a meal). Not to mention, ghrelin levels decreased. However, a positive change in ghrelin was only observed when folks ate 35 grams or more of protein per meal. 

While this may sound like a lot, most folks need a protein dose within that ballpark to reach their daily protein needs (which come in at a minimum of 100 grams a day). 

Fiber is another dietary ingredient that plays a crucial role in appetite regulation. 

Research shows that eating more fiber can enhance feelings of fullness by slowing digestion3 and shifting hormone secretion from hunger hormones to satiety hormones. Studies also show that higher fiber consumption is linked to lower ghrelin levels both during a fast and after a meal4. 

But only 5% of all Americans get the recommended 25-38 grams of fiber daily—many only get 16 grams a day at most. 

Poor quality sleep and not sleeping enough play a sneaky important role in your metabolism and appetite. 

Inadequate sleep decreases leptin5 and increases ghrelin. This can prompt your appetite to surge, making maintaining a healthy weight and choosing healthy foods for meals to be more challenging. 

Ghrelin is a hormone that also responds to stress6. It increases during both acute and chronic stress to help the body maintain balance.

In times of acute stress (say you’re worried about missing a connecting flight), the body interprets that feeling as a potential threat requiring energy to fight or flee and releases hormones like cortisol and ghrelin to get more energy. 

That turns problematic when the stress becomes long-term, and these hormones remain constantly high and contribute to high blood sugar levels, insistent hunger, and a drive to eat calorie-dense foods.