Quick Navigation

Appetite

The desire to eat food, independent of whether food is actually eaten or not. This pools together both physical hunger and subjective appetite, since studies measure this by self-report survey.

Our evidence-based analysis on appetite features 38 unique references to scientific papers.

Kamal Patel
Research analysis led by and reviewed by the Examine team.
Last Updated:

References

  1. Sullivan AC, et al. Effect of (-)-hydroxycitrate upon the accumulation of lipid in the rat. II. Appetite. Lipids. (1974)
  2. Heymsfield SB, et al. Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric acid) as a potential antiobesity agent: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. (1998)
  3. Kim JE, et al. Does Glycine max leaves or Garcinia Cambogia promote weight-loss or lower plasma cholesterol in overweight individuals: a randomized control trial. Nutr J. (2011)
  4. Mattes RD, Bormann L. Effects of (-)-hydroxycitric acid on appetitive variables. Physiol Behav. (2000)
  5. Leonhardt M, Hrupka B, Langhans W. Effect of hydroxycitrate on food intake and body weight regain after a period of restrictive feeding in male rats. Physiol Behav. (2001)
  6. Leonhardt M, Balkan B, Langhans W. Effect of hydroxycitrate on respiratory quotient, energy expenditure, and glucose tolerance in male rats after a period of restrictive feeding. Nutrition. (2004)
  7. National Academies of Sciences, et al. The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research.
  8. Cota D, et al. Endogenous cannabinoid system as a modulator of food intake. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. (2003)
  9. Riggs PK, et al. A pilot study of the effects of cannabis on appetite hormones in HIV-infected adult men. Brain Res. (2012)
  10. Bermudez-Silva FJ, et al. The cannabinoid CB1 receptor and mTORC1 signalling pathways interact to modulate glucose homeostasis in mice. Dis Model Mech. (2016)
  11. Puighermanal E, et al. Dissociation of the pharmacological effects of THC by mTOR blockade. Neuropsychopharmacology. (2013)
  12. Patel S, Cone RD. Neuroscience: a cellular basis for the munchies. Nature. (2015)
  13. Mattes RD, et al. Cannabinoids and appetite stimulation. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. (1994)
  14. Muniyappa R, et al. Metabolic effects of chronic cannabis smoking. Diabetes Care. (2013)
  15. Penner EA, Buettner H, Mittleman MA. The impact of marijuana use on glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance among US adults. Am J Med. (2013)
  16. Rajavashisth TB, et al. Decreased prevalence of diabetes in marijuana users: cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III. BMJ Open. (2012)
  17. Smit E, Crespo CJ. Dietary intake and nutritional status of US adult marijuana users: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Public Health Nutr. (2001)
  18. Le Strat Y, Le Foll B. Obesity and cannabis use: results from 2 representative national surveys. Am J Epidemiol. (2011)
  19. Rodondi N, et al. Marijuana use, diet, body mass index, and cardiovascular risk factors (from the CARDIA study). Am J Cardiol. (2006)
  20. Foltin RW, Fischman MW, Byrne MF. Effects of smoked marijuana on food intake and body weight of humans living in a residential laboratory. Appetite. (1988)
  21. Jones RT, Benowitz NL, Herning RI. Clinical relevance of cannabis tolerance and dependence. J Clin Pharmacol. (1981)
  22. N L Benowitz, R T Jones. Cardiovascular effects of prolonged delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol ingestion. Clin Pharmacol Ther. (1975)
  23. Whiting PF, et al. Cannabinoids for Medical Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA. (2015)
  24. Lutge EE, Gray A, Siegfried N. The medical use of cannabis for reducing morbidity and mortality in patients with HIV/AIDS. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. (2013)
  25. Haney M, et al. Dronabinol and marijuana in HIV-positive marijuana smokers. Caloric intake, mood, and sleep. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. (2007)
  26. Fearon K, et al. Definition and classification of cancer cachexia: an international consensus. Lancet Oncol. (2011)
  27. Cannabis-In-Cachexia-Study-Group, et al. Comparison of orally administered cannabis extract and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in treating patients with cancer-related anorexia-cachexia syndrome: a multicenter, phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial from the Cannabis-In-Cachexia-Study-Group. J Clin Oncol. (2006)
  28. Jatoi A, et al. Dronabinol versus megestrol acetate versus combination therapy for cancer-associated anorexia: a North Central Cancer Treatment Group study. J Clin Oncol. (2002)
  29. Andries A, Gram B, Støving RK. Effect of dronabinol therapy on physical activity in anorexia nervosa: a randomised, controlled trial. Eat Weight Disord. (2015)
  30. Andries A, et al. Dronabinol in severe, enduring anorexia nervosa: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Eat Disord. (2014)
  31. Bensaid M, et al. The cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716 increases Acrp30 mRNA expression in adipose tissue of obese fa/fa rats and in cultured adipocyte cells. Mol Pharmacol. (2003)
  32. Arita Y, et al. Paradoxical decrease of an adipose-specific protein, adiponectin, in obesity. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. (1999)
  33. Goldstein BJ, Scalia R. Adiponectin: A novel adipokine linking adipocytes and vascular function. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. (2004)
  34. Christopoulou FD, Kiortsis DN. An overview of the metabolic effects of rimonabant in randomized controlled trials: potential for other cannabinoid 1 receptor blockers in obesity. J Clin Pharm Ther. (2011)
  35. Després JP, et al. Effects of rimonabant on metabolic risk factors in overweight patients with dyslipidemia. N Engl J Med. (2005)
  36. Sam AH, Salem V, Ghatei MA. Rimonabant: From RIO to Ban. J Obes. (2011)
  37. Chavez-Tapia NC, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis on the adverse events of rimonabant treatment: considerations for its potential use in hepatology. BMC Gastroenterol. (2009)
  38. Moreira FA, Crippa JA. The psychiatric side-effects of rimonabant. Rev Bras Psiquiatr. (2009)

This page is regularly updated, to include the most recently available clinical trial evidence.

Each member of our research team is required to have no conflicts of interest, including with supplement manufacturers, food companies, and industry funders. The team includes nutrition researchers, registered dietitians, physicians, and pharmacists. We have a strict editorial process.

This page features 38 references. All factual claims are followed by specifically-applicable references. Click here to see the full set of research information and references for Appetite.

Examine.com is intended to be used for educational and information purposes only. Examine.com and its Editors do not advocate nutritional supplementation over proper medical advice or treatment and this sentiment will never be expressed through pages hosted under Examine.com. If using any pharmaceuticals or drugs given to you by a doctor or received with a prescription, you must consult with the doctor in question or an equally qualified Health Care Professional prior to using any nutritional supplementation. If undergoing medical therapies, then consult with your respective Therapist or Health Care Professional about possible interactions between your Treatment, any Pharmaceuticals or Drugs being given, and possible nutritional supplements or practices hosted on Examine.com.

Examine.com does not assume liability for any actions undertaken after visiting these pages, and does not assume liability if one misuses supplements. Examine.com and its Editors do not ensure that unforeseen side effects will not occur even at the proper dosages, and thereby does not assume liability for any side effects from supplements or practices hosted under the domain of Examine.com.

Supplements

Articles

Health Topics

Membership Free Trial

Protein Intake Guide + Calculator

How to read a study

Company

Resources

Never miss an update!

Your email is safe with us. We don’t share personal data.

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify.