Appetite is explained as a desire to have food and is interchangeably used with “hunger”. Appetite is regulated by gastrointestinal tract, autonomic nervous system and a number of hormones. They stimulate appetite and send signals to your brain. The part of brain that is responsible for the feeding behaviour is called Hypothalamus. The signals are sensed by hypothalamus with the help of hormones like Leptin, Ghrelin, Orexin etc.
Appetite is body’s way to ensure that it receives food and nutrition on time and in right quantity. This is why low appetite is a cause of concern as it can lead to malnourishment. Main causes of this condition are stress, anxiety, depression, certain medications, respiratory illnesses and pregnancy. In this write up, we will discuss various natural ways for treating low appetite.
Various Natural Cures For Low Appetite
Ashwagandha
It is an ayurvedic herb which has been known to have numerous beneficial effects on the body. The name of this herb means “smell of horse” and it is termed so due to its odour. Ashwagandha regulates healthy bowel movement and digestion which is believed to boost a healthy appetite.
A spoonful of powdered form of this herb can be consumed either with water or milk ones in a day on empty stomach to develop a healthy appetite. It is also recommended for people having very low body weight.
Ginger
Ginger is a strong and common aromatic herb which is used widely in our kitchens for flavouring the food preparations. This herb can work wonders for regulating a good appetite. It stimulates the appetite and also is good for digestion. Consumption of ginger tea around an hour before eating will make you hungry in some time. Consuming this tea again about half an hour after your meal will digest the food effectively.
Lime
Lime is acidic in nature and therefore, restores the acid balance of the digestive system. There are cases in which nausea and vomiting are a factor behind low appetite, for e.g. Pregnancy.
Try having lime juice by diluting juice of one lemon in a glass of water. To this solution add a pinch of salt and a spoon of sugar to decrease its strong sour taste. Consume this on empty stomach in the morning or whenever your nausea seems to be increasing.
Peppermint
This herb has a wonderfully fresh taste and aroma. Peppermint is used extensively in salads, dips and home remedies for various ailments. It has also shown a great potency in stimulating the appetite. The most important property of peppermint is that it cures an upset stomach and regulate digestion.
In fact many commercial medicines for aiding digestion have peppermint as their active treatment. Half a cup of mint tea one hour before the meal will not only work up a healthy appetite but also help in digestion.
Orange
Oranges work like lime juice. They are a great remedy for restoring the lost appetite due to their acidic nature. The strong flavour of orange can also work up the appetite. Try eating the whole orange instead of the juice so that enough roughage is consumed which will aid in good digestion as well as healthy appetite.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.