Sunlight Exposure Triggers Males to be Hungrier, Regardless of Species: New Study

Food appetite is conventionally known as a living organism's desire to seek food for potential consumption. Hunger is often compared to the food-seeking behavior. However, there are variations between the two concepts; with hunger being caused by physiological factors and appetite being affected by emotion, psychological factors, and environmental factors.

Existing literature and studies show hunger equates to 'needs' since it involves objects that are actual necessity for an individual to acquire sustenance, maintaining survival and bodily functions. On the other hands, appetite is similar to 'wants' because it is subjective.

While knowledge on both concepts is substantive, the underlying mechanisms of appetite when it comes to sexual dimorphism, including ultraviolet (UV) exposure, is unclear. In particular, scientists have long sought if appetite is different for both male and female, yet the approach is reportedly complex.

To address the issue, a new study by researchers in Israel found for the first time that appetite for male increases due to environmental factors such as sunlight exposure. This make the novel research to be the pioneer of gender-dependent study in terms of UV exposure.

Male Appetite and Sunlight Exposure

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In the study published in the journal Nature Metabolism on July 11, researchers from Tel-Aviv University confirmed of finding the connection between the sunlight exposure and increased appetite for males.

The research team asserts that both male species members of animals and humans produce a protein called p53 as a form of defense mechanism being hit. These changes lead to a domino effect, which affect another body hormone called ghrelin, which also stimulates appetite.

However, this principle does not work on females since the researchers found that their estrogen blocks the interactions between p53 and ghrelin.

Also Read: Does Exercise Increase Hunger and Appetite? Christopher Lee, Buffalo Fitness Trainer, Explains the Science Behind the Post Workout Phenomenon

Appetite vs. Hunger

According to Medical News Today, appetite can increase and decrease due to multiple factors, which causes some people to eat less or more than what their body needs. As mentioned earlier, appetite is subjective, meaning a person craving for food does not entail he or she is hungry.

Also known as the state of deprivation, hunger is basically the body's biological response to a lack of food within a prolonged period of time. This state varies depending on the metabolism, age, health condition, and other biological factors of a person.

Yet both appetite and hunger could occur vice-versa, which is often mistaken if an individual is indeed hungry or not.

Biological Indicators

Due to the close resemblance terms, the Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Foundation provides the following biological indicators of what a "true hunger" really and differentiate it from appetite.:

empty stomach feeling
stomach rumbling
dizziness
headaches
irritability
lack of concentration
nausea

Meanwhile, the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research states the following factors that increase a person's appetite:

boredom
stress
appealing food
habit or routine

The Canadian organization also emphasized that appetite is only in the brain and is fueled by cravings, specifically wanting specific foods since hunger is sudden and is triggered by an unspecified factor.

Meanwhile, hunger is mainly in the body itself and a hungry person reportedly has no triggers and experiences the struggles of it in a gradual a manner.