Research

Hormonal

Desacyl ghrelin induces a negative energy balance by decreasing food intake and delaying gastric emptying, acting via the hypothalamus.

This research suggests that desacyl ghrelin, often overlooked in favor of acylated ghrelin, plays a significant role in suppressing appetite and slowing digestion. While this is proven in mice, it implies that therapies targeting desacyl ghrelin pathways could potentially aid in weight management by reducing food intake and gastric emptying rates.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
These findings indicate that in contrast to acylated ghrelin, desacyl ghrelin induces a negative energy balance by decreasing food intake and delaying gastric emptying. The effect is mediated via the hypothalamus.
Akihiro Asakawa et al. · Gut · 2004

Why this rating

Evidence is from mouse models (transgenic and acute administration); not directly translatable to human clinical outcomes without further study.

Source

Stomach regulates energy balance via acylated ghrelin and desacyl ghrelin

Akihiro Asakawa et al. · Gut · 2004

DOI 10.1136/gut.2004.038737

mechanism_onlyCited 481×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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