Your gut uses a 500 million year old alarm to turn off your hunger during illness
Deep within your digestive tract, a specialized group of cells acts as a 500 million year old security system that instantly kills your appetite to help you survive a parasitic infection.
Specialized cells in the gut can detect parasitic threats and signal the brain to suppress hunger by up to 70 percent within minutes. These rare enteroendocrine cells make up less than one percent of the intestinal lining, yet they act as a powerful internal alarm. Upon detecting a pathogen, they release hormones like cholecystokinin to override the drive to eat, preventing the host from consuming more contaminated food.
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