Why Does the Appetite Disappear When You Are Sick? This is the Medical Explanation

JAKARTA - When the body is attacked by disease, many people complain of loss of appetite. Even the favorite food that usually stimulates the appetite feels ordinary or even makes you nauseous. This condition is not without reason.

There is a biological process that does occur in the body when a person is sick.

Starting from flu, fever, cough, to digestive disorders can trigger a decrease in appetite. Experts explain that the body naturally redirects energy to fight infections so that the digestive system is not the main priority.

According to Valentine Ongeri Millien, MD, a gastroenterologist at Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital, the body needs a lot of energy to fight the disease.

"When you are sick, your body enters 'war mode', using large amounts of energy to fight the disease," said Valentine Ongeri Millien, MD, quoted from the Eating Well page.

"To win, the body shifts energy from functions that are not very important such as digesting food, which is why the appetite disappears," he continued.

In addition, the brain also plays an important role in regulating hunger when the body is unhealthy. James Cox, MD, assistant professor and director of communication skills development at the Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University, said that the brain can detect infections and suppress appetite stimulation.

Not only that, the relationship between the gut and the brain or gut-brain axis is also affected during illness. The immune system will produce cytokines, which are chemicals that can affect the vagus nerve as the main regulator of the digestive system.

"The response to the disease triggers the production of cytokines, immune system chemicals that affect the vagus nerve, the main regulator of digestion," explains Valentine Ongeri Millien, MD.

"This interaction is likely to slow down the digestive process and suppress appetite," he continued.

Decreased appetite during illness is also related to hormonal changes in the body. Hunger-regulating hormones such as ghrelin and leptin can become imbalanced during an infection.

According to Supriya Rao, MD, internal medicine and gastroenterology specialist, this condition makes the body not give the signal of hunger as usual.

Meanwhile, Simran Malhotra, MD, revealed that a decrease in the hormone ghrelin may actually help the immune system work more optimally.

"Recent research in animal models suggests that suppression of the hormone ghrelin may actually help the immune system and improve its ability to fight infections," says Simran Malhotra, MD.

In addition to biological factors, the sense of smell and taste can also change when a person is sick, especially when they have a cold or respiratory infection.

"The sense of smell and taste can be greatly affected by infection," says James Cox, MD.

As a result, food tastes bland, different, or even uninteresting at all. Although losing your appetite when you are sick is normal, your body still needs nutrients and fluids to speed up recovery.

If it's hard to eat in large portions, try eating easy-to-digest snacks such as warm soup, porridge, fruit, or warm tea.