Hunger hormones impact decision-making part of the brain, study shows

To ensure the animal does not overeat, the hippocampus puts the brakes on an animal’s instinct to eat when it encounters food

The study is the first to show how hunger hormones can directly impact activity of the brain’s hippocampus (Ben Birchall/PA)

A hunger hormone produced in the gut can impact a decision-making part of the brain in order to drive an animal’s behaviour, new research suggests.

The study is the first to show how hunger hormones can directly impact activity of the brain’s hippocampus – a decision-making part of the brain that is understood to help us form and use memories – when an animal is considering food.