Research
Hormonal
Ghrelin, the only gastrointestinal hormone that increases appetite, stimulates dopamine release in the VTA to increase food motivation and sex motivation in males, but reduces sex motivation in females during lactation.
Ghrelin increases hunger and food motivation by stimulating dopamine release in the brain. In males, it may also increase sex motivation, while in lactating females, it may reduce sex motivation to prioritize maternal care. Understanding these hormonal signals can help manage hunger and motivated behaviors.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Ghrelin is the only gastrointestinal hormone that increases appetite... ghrelin can promote sex motivation in male mice and rats... infusions of ghrelin into the preoptic area reduced sex anticipation in rats.
Source
Food and the brain: Neural and endocrine control of feeding, metabolism, and reproduction
Naira da Silva Mansano et al. · Journal of Neuroendocrinology · 2025
DOI 10.1111/jne.70104
narrative_reviewCited 1×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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