The sensation of hunger doesn't just prompt a snack but may also alter the immune system, according to a recent study which found that merely feeling hungry changes the number of immune cells in the blood.
اضافة اعلان
The brain's recognition of hunger or satiety was enough by itself to influence the number of immune cells in the blood.
According to Study Finds, the research was conducted on animals and highlighted a range of changes caused by hunger in the body.
These changes, noted by the research team from the University of Manchester, include alterations in blood sugar or nutrient levels.
Hunger Perception
What's new in the findings is the role of hunger perception, or how the brain interprets this feeling, and its impact on physical elements. It turns out that what the brain believes is happening can reshape immunity.
In the lab experiment, induced hunger resulted in a significant reduction in specific immune cells in the blood called monocytes.
These cells are part of the immune system’s first line of defense and play a key role in regulating inflammation.
Satiety Cells
Conversely, when researchers activated satiety cells in fasting mice, the monocyte levels returned to near normal levels, even though the mice did not eat.
These experiments demonstrated that the brain’s perception of hunger or satiety alone was enough to affect the number of immune cells in the blood.
To understand how this brain-immune connection works, the research explored how the brain communicates with the liver. It also showed that the liver communicates with the bone marrow—the soft tissue inside bones where blood and immune cells are produced.
Researchers found a direct link between the neurons responsible for hunger and the liver through the sympathetic nervous system, which plays a broad role in regulating functions such as heart rate, blood flow, and how organs respond to stress and energy needs.
