Quiting smoking alters hunger signaling
November 22nd, 2006 | by David Spelts |Quiting smoking results in weight gain that increases leptin and decreases ghrelin. Both of these changes reduce hunger, so the weight gain appears to be self limiting.
Apparently, elevated dopamine and norepinephrine are a major signaling mechanism for appetite while smoking. Quiting smoking returns the individual to the more normal appetite signaling involving leptin and the gut hormone ghrelin.
