Understanding the Hypothalamus: The Brain's Regulator

802 Words2 Pages

The hypothalamus is a complex part of the brain that regulates and controls functions of the body from temperature and sleep to hunger and thirst. Before a person can begin to understand the hypothalamus, it's important to note the role it has in homeostasis.

Homeostasis is the way the body creates a stable environment for itself and all of the body's functions working together. Without homeostasis, blood pressure, hunger, heart rate, sleep cycles, and immune responses would be completely out of whack.

The brain uses neurotransmitters to regulate the functions of the body. The hormones created in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland are sent out into the body to regulate its functions. Neurotransmitters connect the entire nervous system …show more content…

The feeling of hunger comes from lack of food as well as other factors. Leptin levels drop as hours pass with no food being consumed. At a certain point, the dropping levels of leptin are what begin to release ghrelin. When ghrelin is activated within the body, the hypothalamus will provide a trigger to brain that the body needs fuel.

It's believed that these levels of ghrelin and leptin can be triggered by things like stress or appetite, which is the desire for food based on a few factors like how food looks or whether other people are eating around you.

Regulation

Hunger regulation is one of the biggest problems for someone who is trying to lose weight. When our bodies start to lose stored fat, the chemicals and transmitters in the body mount a defense because they believe it could be the start of a famine. Chemicals are released that boost appetite and try to conserve energy. This leads to a drop in metabolism as well as a boost in hunger or motivation to eat more.

Exercise is found to be the best at regulating the body's hunger response. The body fat that's used during exercise is consumed as fuel, which is a controlled burn. The body's chemicals of leptin, ghrelin, and insulin are kept on an even keel. All of this is regulated by the hypothalamus, which is always watching and waiting to read hunger signals.

More about Understanding the Hypothalamus: The Brain's Regulator

Open Document