A study has found that the amount of the fasting hormone ghrelin rebounds following weight loss. It can help decrease belly fat and also improve a person’s insulin sensitivity. It is stomach derived and stimulates appetite. Levels of ghrelin rise when fasting overnight during sleep. The levels will then fall when a person eats again.
The clinical trial discovered that dieting causes elevation of fasting levels of ghrelin. That elevation is linked to abdominal visceral loss of fat and improved sensitivity to insulin. This suggests that people who show a high level of fasting ghrelin after weight loss may face a reduced risk in developing a metabolic disease such as diabetes.
People who followed the green Mediterranean diet that included a leafy vegetable called Mankai and green tea and also left out meat have a two-fold greater elevation in fasting ghrelin levels than those who followed the traditional Mediterranean diet or a healthy balanced diet.
The study has suggested that fasting ghrelin levels may serve as a benefit and valuable measure of cardiometabolic health after weight loss.
The results found that the green Mediterranean diet is a better version of the healthy Mediterranean diet in the Direct Plus trial. This clinical trial looked at the fasting ghrelin level in 294 people over an 18 month period. During the trial, the participants that had either dyslipideia (elevated fats or cholesterol in the blood) or abdominal obesity were randomized to 1 of 3 diets. This was after following a health dietary guideline, the Mediterranean diet, or the green Mediterranean diet that was based on plant protein and had no red meat. All participants were asked to exercise, were provided with lunches and given memberships to gyms.
The people following the green Mediterranean diet which included a daily diet of Mankai and green tea had levels of fasting ghrelin twice as high as those who were on the traditional Mediterranean diet. This happened even though there were similar caloric restrictions and loss of weight.
The fasting ghrelin levels elevation may help to explain why the green Mediterranean diet reduced fat of the liver, optimized the microbiome and improved cardiometabolic health more than the other 2 diets.
The results have suggested that fasting ghrelin is a crucial hormonal factor in the diet-linked recovery of insulin sensitivity and belly fat reduction. The differential, diet specific response to fasting ghrelin levels elevation could be another mechanism where distinct dietary regimens such as the green Mediterranean diet reduce the risk of cardiometabolic disease.
To view the original scientific study click below:
Diet-induced fasting ghrelin elevation reflects the recovery of insulin sensitivity and visceral adiposity regression
