Depression; It brings a feeling of tiredness, digestive problems and changes in appetite. The surprising thing is Although depression is common, appetite varies.

Agree Why does the same situation lead to two different behaviors?

Nearly half of patients suffering from depression experience a decrease in appetite, while a third experience an increase in appetite.

In fact, depression is associated with a decreased desire to eat. This condition plays a role in mood regulation and appetite control. of neurochemical imbalances with changes in the levels of serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitters can originate.

Also depression It is also related to cortisol levels. A 2018 study found that depressed patients with decreased appetite had higher salivary cortisol levels compared to patients with increased appetite.

This observation can be a bit confusing.

Because high cortisol levels due to stress are often associated with an increased desire to eat. But this study provided insight into how cortisol can reduce hunger in depressed patients.

In addition, researchers are using neuroimaging to monitor neural responses to food cues in the brains of depressed patients. Patients with increased appetite There are exaggerated responses in the brain area called the ventral striatum. They found it.

This region is an important part of the brain’s reward system It plays an important role in the pleasure and motivation for eating. In summary, the increase or decrease in appetite during depression due to these reasons varies from person to person.

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