The hormone Ghrelin affects impulse control

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have found that the hormone Ghrelin affects impulse control in rats.

Science. Do you feel that you make bad decisions when you are hungry? Now it is scientifically proven that it is so, at least for rats.

When you are hungry hormone Ghrelin is produced in the stomach. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have found that the hormone affects rats decision-making ability and impulse negative.

"For the first time we have been able to show that this hormone increase, as seen before meals or fasting, affecting the brain to act impulsively and also affects the ability to make rational decisions," says Karolina Skibicka, associate professor and researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy, in a press release.

Rats were trained by sugar rewards if they performed an action, such as pressing a lever. They could also choose to wait to press to later get a bigger reward. Rats injected with ghrelin chose more often pressing the lever instead of waiting.

Thus, the researchers said that rats with hunger make worse decisions and have less impulse control.

Original Article in Swedish

a reply to: PanPiper I get really cranky when I'm hungry and I find myself making poor eating choices. I also feel if I didn't eat enough in the beginning of the day, I will eat more than I need to later on in the day.
To me, your OP makes very good sense.
Personally, I can't fast or I get a horrible feeling, everybody is different though. I have normally very low blood pressure...I wonder if there is a connection to having to eat throughout the day? I know I get lightheaded and cranky with a pain throughout my body if I don't eat enough.
Thanks for the OP. I'm going to have to look into whether there are things to regulate this Ghrelin hormone.

a reply to: PanPiper

This experiment is flawed/biased because they used a sugar reward system. Sugar makes you dumb - experiment discredited.
evidence: www.sciencedaily.com...

I learned long ago that you never go shopping when you are hungry. Even if it is not food shopping, impulse buying goes up.