Content
Foods that increase the appetite of an adult or child can be both beneficial and dangerous. To use them without harm to the body, you need to understand exactly how they work.
Features of foods that induce appetite
Basically, the feeling of hunger is caused by foods from two groups:
- with a high sugar content, when eating such food, the level of insulin in the blood rises sharply, as a result of which there is a feeling of hunger;
- with a high content of acids and bitterness, such foods irritate the walls of the stomach and make it vigorously produce juice, and this provokes appetite.
Features of such products can be both useful and harmful to humans. On the one hand, in some diseases, the natural appetite is greatly reduced, and there is a need to stimulate it. Then the right products can be beneficial.
But with a good natural appetite, certain foods can simply lead to overeating. The feeling of hunger will persist even after the actual calorie needs are met.
What foods trigger an appetite
In order to eat food correctly and not face unpleasant consequences, you need to know which foods provoke hunger. For adults and children, the food list will differ slightly.
What foods increase appetite in adults
The diet of an adult is the most diverse - in the absence of food restrictions, it includes almost all food groups. Increased secretion of gastric juice is promoted by:
- hot spices and seasonings - ginger, black pepper, garlic, coriander and others;
- flour products - wheat bread and rolls, pastries;
- sweet dishes - white and milk chocolate, sweets, ice cream, marshmallows and cookies;
- sweet and sour fruits, especially apples and dark grapes;
- vegetables, especially cabbage, Korean carrots, red and yellow bell peppers;
- drinks high in acids and sugar.
Some foods, such as sweets and soda, are considered more harmful and should be consumed in small quantities. But others are predominantly beneficial. For example, foods that increase the appetite of older people, such as vegetables and fruits, can help prevent constipation.
What foods increase appetite in children
In children, the feeling of hunger is enhanced by the same foods as in adults, but at the same time, special attention should be paid to the children's diet. Even to improve appetite, the child should not be offered hot seasonings, spices should be excluded from the diet, they will harm the child's body.
Healthy foods are good for increasing a child's appetite, for example:
- sour berries or freshly squeezed juices based on them;
- apples;
- fresh carrots;
- cabbage, cauliflower and white cabbage.
If the child is not allergic to bee products, honey can also be offered to stimulate hunger. Royal jelly, bee bread and propolis in its composition gently enhance digestion.
Best Appetite Boosting Foods
There are several categories of foods that trigger hunger. They deserve more detailed consideration, since some of them are completely safe, while others are very harmful to the body.
Bakery products
White bread and buns are some of the most popular appetite-provoking foods. Even the aroma of fresh baked goods evokes positive emotions; there is an immediate desire to taste soft and fragrant bread.
White flour products contain a large amount of "fast" carbohydrates with a high glycemic index. Bread, when consumed, initially dampens hunger, but the effect does not last long. The cereal product is quickly absorbed, the blood glucose level fluctuates, and the desire to eat again arises.
Freshly squeezed juices
Fresh juice, freshly squeezed from vegetables or fruits, contains many vitamins and valuable minerals. However, it also has negative properties, in the juice there is a huge amount of natural sugars, but fiber is almost completely absent.
Due to this, immediately after drinking the juice, the level of insulin in the body rises rapidly. In addition, organic acids in the drink irritate the mucous membranes of the stomach and provoke the production of hydrochloric acid. The body begins to experience hunger, which is why it is recommended to drink juice shortly before sitting down to the table.
If you have a poor appetite, you can use freshly squeezed juices with benefit. But the dosages must be kept small, otherwise the drinks will lead to the occurrence of gastric disorders and even contribute to gaining excess weight.
Alcohol
Alcoholic drinks are a reliable means of increasing the appetite of an adult. Observations confirm that when there is alcohol on the table during the holidays, snacks are eaten much more than when drinking fruit drinks and mineral water.
The effect of alcoholic beverages on appetite is explained by the fact that most of them, when consumed, provoke fluctuations in blood glucose levels. And even spirits, which contain almost no sugar, lead to dehydration, and this is again reflected in the glucose level. Therefore, after alcohol, the appetite always increases.
It is not recommended to treat a weak appetite with alcohol. But from time to time, before lunch or dinner, you can drink a glass of dry red wine, it is the least harmful to the body.
Sugar substitutes
For a long time, sugar substitutes were considered safe, they were used precisely in order to eliminate the harmful effects of ordinary sugar on the body. But research has found that sugar substitutes continue to whet appetite despite the lack of calories.
When you take a sweet-tasting supplement, your brain receives a signal that insulin has entered the body.In this case, the production of glucose does not actually occur. With the help of hunger, the body tries to demand real sugar and often gets it with other high-calorie foods. Thus, stimulating appetite with substitutes can be very effective, but their dietary benefits are in question.
Muesli and cereal
Both cereals and muesli are considered healthy food grains that make up for energy deficiencies. But muesli-based bars and cereal breakfast cereals are very poor filling. In practice, after eating them, hunger only increases, and there is a desire to eat something else.
This is because breakfast cereals and bars contain a lot of sweeteners in addition to small amounts of cereals. As a result, the product turns out to be tasty, but not very healthy; when used, it only whets the appetite. It is recommended to eat muesli and cereals for breakfast only as one of the dishes; by themselves, these products will not saturate the stomach for a long time.
Pickles and marinades
Pickled and pickled cucumbers and tomatoes, sauerkraut and other pickles are foods that improve appetite. They contain a lot of salt, spices and seasonings, which have a slight irritating effect on the stomach and trigger the production of hydrochloric acid.
Eating marinades and pickles is very useful for poor appetite. In small quantities, such foods help to awaken the feeling of hunger, speed up metabolic processes and have a beneficial effect on digestion. But at the same time, it is necessary to observe the measure - pickles and marinades in large volumes harm the stomach and, moreover, dehydrate the body.
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise is by far the most popular sauce on the Russian table. It is used in salads and main courses, added to soups and even used in making sandwiches. With mayonnaise, the taste of dishes really becomes brighter, and the food itself seems more satisfying.
But in fact, mayonnaise contains a huge amount of fats and flavorings that provoke appetite. The product is not only harmful to the figure in itself, but also makes you eat more food than usual. During holiday feasts, it is easy to notice that salads dressed with mayonnaise are eaten much faster than regular ones. This happens not because they are tastier, but because hunger is almost not satisfied with their use.
Spices and flavors
It is generally accepted that spices do not affect the calorie content of foods. This is true, bay leaves, dill, basil and parsley practically do not change the nutritional value of dishes. But even in scanty amounts, spices irritate the taste buds and increase the acidity of the stomach, respectively, awaken the appetite and the desire to eat more of this or that dish.
The same applies to flavorings, among which monosodium glutamate is especially known. The E621 additive is a part of many semi-finished products, sweets and smoked meats, makes the taste of products brighter, but at the same time increases appetite and provokes a feeling of constant hunger.
It should be noted that spices and seasonings, when used in moderation, are beneficial, they help the body break down fats and work well for nausea.You can use them without fear when weakening your appetite. But synthetic flavor enhancers are definitely harmful to the body, and they should be avoided in all situations.
Rules for the use of foods that stimulate the appetite
The benefits and harms of foods that provoke appetite depend on the state of the body and the goals of a particular person.
When it comes to spurring up the work of digestion after an illness or against a background of stress, then eating such products is rather useful, they help to quickly return to a normal rhythm. But with great care they need to be treated with a tendency to obesity. Uncontrolled consumption of "dangerous" foods can lead to weight gain.
When consuming sweets, fresh juices, semi-finished products with flavor enhancers and other products, you need to carefully monitor the amount eaten. You can not focus only on your own feelings, it is better to pre-calculate the calories.
It is recommended to eat foods that increase the feeling of hunger in small quantities shortly before or immediately after meals. For example, it is better to drink fresh juice on an empty stomach, and then start the main food, and eat sweet sweets after dinner with tea, when the body is already full.
If you need to improve your appetite to improve your health, then you should pay attention to juices, pickles and spices. Digestive disorders should not be treated with sweets and flavored foods.
Conclusion
Foods that increase an adult's appetite can be beneficial, but sometimes turn out to be harmful. They need to be consumed in small portions so that stimulation of appetite does not lead to rapid weight gain.
