- Insulin – promotes absorption of glucose from the blood after we have eaten
- Glucagon – functions opposite to insulin by causing glucose to be released the blood when we are hungry
- Ghrelin – secreted when you have not eaten for a long time. It tells the hypothalamus in the brain that it’s about time to eat. So, you may call it the “greedy” hormone to help you remember it’s function since it starts with a “g”
- Cholecystokinin (CCK) – functions opposite to grehlin by telling the hypothalamus that you are full, and it initiates digestion in the small intestine. So, you may call it the “content” hormone to help you remember since it starts with a “c”.
- Leptin – produced by adipose (fat) cells and is used to suppress hunger and prevent you from overeating. So, since leptin starts with an “L” we can call it the “lipid (fat) stopper”. You may wonder why some people are still obese. Well, it because obese individuals are resistant to leptin. In these individuals, even though leptin in the fat cells is telling the brain to stop eating, the message is ignored.
- Secretin – causes secretion of pancreatic bicarbonate into the duodenum (first part of the small intestine) which neutralizes acid in the food coming from the stomach
- Gastrin – secreted from the stomach walls to promote production of hydrochloric acid, pepsin, and mucus membrane. It also promotes motility of the stomach
- Gastric Inhibitory Peptide (GIP) – inhibits the production of gastric juices but its main function is to cause insulin to be released when there is high blood sugar
- Somatostatin – regulates the amount of other digestive hormones in the blood by slowing down their activity when they are not needed
Reference: Thompson, J. L., Manore, M. M. & Vaughan, L. A. (2017). The Science of Nutrition (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education.
