What Causes High Appetite & How Do You Reduce it Naturally?

Different people have different eating habits, and physical expenditure can cause appetite increases. Sometimes one may have a large appetite for a prolonged period without increased exercise which can cause a number of problems such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and more. Especially if one chooses to eat large amounts of unhealthy foods. In some cases, an increase in appetite can be indicative of an abnormal condition, such as some endocrinologic conditions, including diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and/or Graves disease. Increased appetite may also be due to certain emotional or psychiatric conditions, as well as a response to stress, anxiety, or depression. It is advised to change your calorie intake and change the types of food to best suit your body. Changing the food you eat from low volume high calorie foods to high volume low calorie foods can help to satisfy appetite while not putting on lots of weight. If one has a prolonged period of unnatural appetite increase, it may be worth visiting a doctor to check for any underlying health conditions that may be causing the appetite increase.

Symptoms/Causes of a Large Appetite

Weight gain – When one has an increased appetite it is common for the calorie intake to surpass the calorie expenditure causing an overall weight increase.

Anxiety– One may feel anxious and use food to reduce anxiety. It can also be possible for the increased appetite to actually cause anxiety due to fears of putting on excess weight.

Growth Spurts – It is common for younger people to get increased appetite through times of growing. The body requires more resources to grow therefore an increased calorie intake it quite common.

Medications– Some medications can cause an increase in appetite and is especially common with anti-depressants and a number of other pharmaceutical drugs. On top of this anti-depressant medicines can reduce depression, thus naturally causing an increase to appetite through the patient becoming happier.

Menstrual Cycle – Women may find that their appetite increases during their menstrual cycle. This is due to hormonal changes which can cause one to crave foods, and due to hormones affecting mood, it is common that people will opt for foods that are higher in carbohydrates and sugars.

How to Diagnose if your Appetite is too High?

Depending on your symptoms and medical history, your doctor may order one or more diagnostic tests. Some examples may be blood tests, thyroid function test to measure the level of thyroid hormones in your body and test blood sugar levels to check for diabetes. If they can’t find a physical cause for your increased appetite, your doctor may recommend a psychological evaluation with a mental health professional.

Recommended Supplement for Reducing Appetite

African Mango Seed Extract - Research suggests that African mango may help protect against obesity and enhance metabolic health. In a 2009 study on Lipids in Health and Disease, researchers found that participants who took African mango every day for 10 weeks experienced significant improvements in body weight, body fat, waist size, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels. It was also noted that taking the supplement 30-60 minutes before a meal helped to decreased appetite.

Barley Grass Juice Powder – Barley grass is low in calories but very high in fiber. This is particularly helpful for people trying to reduce appetite naturally as the fiber moves slow through ones digestive tract, keeping you feeling fuller for longer, helps to curb cravings and decreases hunger. It is also a super food so it can prevent nutritional hunger. This is when someone may eat lots of non-nutritional food and feel hungry soon after. This is because the body did not get the correct nutritional needs so it demands more food to try get the nutrition needed to thrive. Finally barley grass is also high in protein which has been scientifically proven to help reduce appetite and promote weight loss when correct amounts are consumed.

Wild Spanish Pollen - Bee pollen is very rich in B complex vitamins and also contains an important amount of vitamin C. It also contains proteins, amino acids, hormones and other good substances. It is best to take our necessary vitamins from food rather than from artificial sources like vitamin pills as our body assimilates them far better. Nutritionally speaking, bee pollen is a super-food and is recommended in cases of high appetite because it works by stimulating your metabolism, which in turn speeds up calorie burn. It corrects any chemical imbalances in the metabolism which may also be the reason some people gain weight. Bee pollen can also prevent nutritional starvation as it is rich in many nutrients needed.

Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Appetite

Increase Protein Intake - Adding more protein into your diet can increase the feelings of fullness, make you eat less at your next meal, help you lose fat and prevent loss of muscle mass during periods of lower calorie intake. By making protein about 20–30% of your total calorie intake, or 0.45-0.55 g/lb of body weight (1.0–1.2 g/kg), seems to be sufficient to provide the benefits.

Fiber Rich Diet - A high fiber diet stretches the stomach, slows its emptying speed and influences the release of peptide YY which is the hormone that causes satiety. Additionally, fiber can ferment in the bowel. Which produces short-chain fatty acids thought to further help promote feelings of fullness. A recent review reports that adding fiber-rich beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils to your meal can increase feelings of fullness by 31%, compared to equivalent meals that aren’t based on beans. Eating an extra 14 grams of fiber daily may decrease your calorie intake by up to 10%. Over 3.8 months, this could lead to a loss of up to 1.9 kg. What’s more, few negative effects have been linked to high-fiber diets. Fiber-rich foods often contain many other beneficial nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and helpful plant compounds, therefore, opting for a diet containing sufficient fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds can also promote long-term health.

Eat Food rather than Drinks - One recent review found that compared to a solid snack, people who ate a liquid snack were 38% less likely to compensate by eating less at the next meal. In a second study, participants who were fed a semi-solid snack reported less hunger, a lower desire to eat and a greater sensation of fullness than those fed a liquid snack. There are several beleifs as to why this happens, but two ideas is that solids require more chewing, which can grant more time for the fullness signal to reach the brain or that the extra chewing time allows solids to stay in contact with the taste buds for longer, which may also promote feelings of fullness.

Drink Coffee - Research shows that coffee increases the release of peptide YY. This hormone is produced in the gut in response to eating and promotes a feeling of fullness. Scientists believe that PYY levels play an important role in determining how much you’re likely to eat. Interestingly, decaffeinated coffee may produce the highest reduction in hunger, with effects that last up to three hours after consumption. However, more studies are required to pinpoint exactly how this works.

Drink Water - Studies show that people who drink two glasses of water immediately before a meal eat 22% less than those who don’t drink any water. It is believed that about 17 oz (500 ml) of water is sufficient to stretch the stomach enough to send signals of fullness to the brain. That being said, water is also known to empty from the stomach quickly. For this tip to work, it may be best to drink the water as close to the meal as possible. Interestingly, starting your meal with soup may act in the same way. Researchers observed that eating a bowl of soup immediately before a meal decreased hunger and reduced total calorie intake from the meal by about 100 calories.

Mindful Eating - Eating quickly or while you’re distracted can make it more difficult for your brain to recognize these signals. Research shows that practicing mindfulness during meals can help people experience more pleasure while eating. This can help keep the focus on quality rather than quantity, and reduces binge eating behaviour. There also seems to be a link between hunger, fullness and what your eyes see. One experiment offered two identical milkshakes to participants. One was called a '620-calorie indulgence', while the other was given a '120-calorie sensible' label. Although both groups consumed the same amount of calories, hunger hormone levels dropped more for those who believed they drank the "indulgent” drink. This indicates that thinking a meal or drink contains more calories than it actually does can also activate the brain areas linked to feeling full.

Eat Dark Chocolate - Researchers believe the stearic acid in dark chocolate can help slow digestion, further increasing feelings of fullness. Interestingly, the simple act of smelling this treat might be able to produce the same effects. One study observed that simply smelling 85% dark chocolate decreased both appetite and hunger hormones just as much as actually eating it.

Reduce Plate Size - Reducing the size of your dinnerware can help you unconsciously reduce your meal portions. This is likely to help you consume less food without feeling deprived. In fact, this effect can even fool the most aware eaters. For example, a study observed that even nutrition experts unconsciously served themselves around 31% more ice cream when given larger bowls.

Research has frequently shown that when you have more on your plate, you’re likely to eat more without realizing it.

Get Enough Sleep - Studies show that too little sleep can increase hunger and appetite by up to 24%, and decrease levels of some fullness hormones by up to 26%. Research also revealed that individuals who sleep less than seven hours per night rate their fullness levels after breakfast as 26% lower.

Reduce Stress - Excess stress is known to raise levels of the hormone cortisol. Although the effects can vary between individuals, high cortisol is generally thought to increase food cravings and the drive to eat. On top of this stress may also decrease levels of peptide YY, a fullness hormone.

In a recent experiment, participants ate an average of 22% more calories after a stressful test when compared to a non-stressful version of the same test.