No reason for the appetite. No appetite: reasons

A good appetite is a sign of a healthy body. Together with food, a person receives pleasure, energy, vitamins and minerals. Reluctance to eat can last for a short time due to stress, a cold, or last for months, leading to weight loss and many other consequences.

Diseases characterized by symptoms:

• Addison's disease ( chronic failure adrenal cortex);
• Still's disease (chronic polyarthritis in children);
• Still-Choffard disease (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis);
• infectious diseases (pneumonia, hepatitis, pyelonephritis, HIV, ARVI);
• typhoid fever;
• gastroesophageal reflux disease (gastroesophageal reflux);
• peptic ulcer (stomach or duodenum);
• cancer (blood, stomach, colon);
• Alzheimer's disease;
• depression;
• schizophrenia;
• anorexia nervosa.

What is appetite

Appetite is the desire to eat, the emotional feeling associated with eating. It occurs at the level of the cortex cerebral hemispheres according to the principle of a conditioned reflex.

Appetite happens:

• physiological - occurs when the concentration of glucose in the blood decreases. This occurs approximately 4 hours after eating. Receptors nervous system they sense a lack of glucose, send a “hunger” signal to the cerebral cortex and the person begins to want to eat. After eating, glucose enters the brain and appetite disappears;
• psychological - occurs in response to the sight and smell of food. Conversations about food, beautiful presentation of dishes evoke images, associations and a desire to eat in the cerebral cortex. Psychological appetite is not related to the body’s real need for food.

Appetite depends on general condition body. Various factors of external and internal environment may influence him. Lifestyle, diet, bad habits, many diseases both increase appetite and lead to its loss.

Loss of appetite: general characteristics

Loss of appetite is a lack of desire to eat. A person refuses to eat due to a decrease in hunger, or eats just a little.

Most often, this condition indicates the presence of some problem in the body.

Important! Loss of appetite is often associated with diseases of the digestive system, constant stress, mental disorders, and drug use. If the loss of appetite is prolonged and associated symptoms, you should immediately contact your family physician, pediatrician or gastroenterologist. Loss of appetite in the first weeks of pregnancy is considered normal. To find out the exact cause it is necessary comprehensive examination. The main principle is treatment of the underlying disease. Increase appetite - green vegetables, fresh herbs, chamomile infusions, peppermint, dill and lemon balm

Types of disorder

There are different concepts of loss of appetite:

• hyporexia - loss of appetite;
• anorexia - lack of appetite;
• pseudohyporexia - eating a small amount of food despite feeling hungry (for example, to control body weight).

It is important not to confuse such appetite disturbances with sitophobia - the fear of eating. In this case, the person completely refuses to eat because he knows what it will do to him. painful sensations(for example, with gastritis or peptic ulcer).

Reasons

Many chronic and acute diseases, stress, medications and certain conditions can contribute to loss of appetite.

The most common reasons:

• digestive system disease: irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, colitis, pancreatitis, stomach and colon cancer;
• diseases endocrine system: diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, Addison's disease;
• autoimmune diseases: scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis;
• anemia, vitamin deficiencies;
• infectious diseases: ARVI, HIV, hepatitis, pyelonephritis, pneumonia, tonsillitis;
• intoxication (poisoning) of the body;
• chronic renal failure, cirrhosis, acute heart failure;
• pregnancy;
• stress;
• oncological diseases: blood cancer, stomach, colon, pancreas, ovarian cancer;
• diseases of the nervous system: encephalitis, brain tumors;
• mental disorders: depression, schizophrenia, anorexia nervosa;
• taking antibiotics, Digoxin, Fluoxetine, Quinidine sulfate, Codeine, Morphine sulfate, Hydralazine;
• taking drugs: amphetamines, cocaine, heroin, LSD.

Eating sweets or soft drinks between meals also contributes to this disorder.

Risk factors

There are factors that even healthy body may cause loss of appetite:

• poor eating environment;
• alcohol abuse;
• drug use;
• unappetizing appearance food;
• medical procedures and manipulation;
• reception medicines;
• strong emotions.

When provocateurs are eliminated, the desire to eat quickly returns. If your appetite has disappeared long time- this indicates the presence of a serious problem in the body (mental or somatic).

Clinical picture

Often a decrease in appetite is accompanied by:

• weight loss;
• nausea;
• vomiting;

Also, after some time, due to lack of nutrients, the following are possible:

• violation menstrual cycle;
• memory impairment;
• decreased concentration and visual acuity;
• Dryness and flaking of the skin, hair loss, and brittle nails are added.

The main clinical picture will depend on the disease that caused the loss of appetite.

Associated symptoms for various diseases

If the loss of appetite is due to pathological process, then additional symptoms will definitely be present.

Associated symptoms help determine which disease caused the loss of appetite.

The most common diseases and their symptoms are described in the table below.

If a person has lost more than 10 kg in a short time, this is a bad sign. Such changes in body weight can occur with cirrhosis, cancer, anorexia nervosa. If you experience progressive weight loss, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Lack of appetite in a child

In children under one year of age, due to intensive growth and metabolism, the appetite is usually increased. Therefore, lack of appetite or breast refusal is considered an alarming sign.

Associated symptoms - drowsiness, lethargy, cyanosis (blueness) of the skin, convulsions or high fever may indicate a serious infection. It is necessary to immediately detect the cause and begin treatment, since loss of appetite will quickly lead the child to dehydration, weight loss and cachexia. This is dangerous not only for the health, but also for the life of the baby.

In children older than one year, the most common cause of loss of appetite is colds, various stresses and eating sweets.

Loss of appetite during pregnancy

Appetite very often decreases in the first weeks of pregnancy. This is due to changes in hormone levels in a woman’s body. Also in the first trimester there is a shortage folic acid(vitamin B9) and iron.

During this period it is necessary good nutrition, as the development of the fetus and the laying of the organs of the unborn child are underway.

For more later On the contrary, your appetite increases, but it is not advisable to eat a lot. This contributes to an increase in fetal weight and increases the risk of birth injuries.

Many women change their taste preferences during pregnancy. Those who previously ate only meat may really crave sweets or, for example, eat chalk. And the appetite for previously loved foods disappears.

All these are temporary changes that return to normal after childbirth.

Loss of appetite in older people

In old age, metabolic rate decreases significantly. Over the years, the need for food decreases and appetite worsens. But changes in body weight occur very rarely.

A sharp loss of appetite and weight loss in older people are also considered signs of pathology and may indicate the presence of serious illnesses.

Which doctor and when to contact for this symptom

Since loss of appetite can occur due to various stresses or from excessive consumption of sweets, you should not immediately visit a doctor. After eliminating the cause, the desire to eat will be restored.

It is important to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms, which will give the doctor a full clinical picture diseases.

If the loss of appetite is prolonged, accompanied by weight loss, nausea, deterioration in the general condition of the skin or the functioning of organs, you should immediately seek medical help.

Whenever this symptom need to go to , . If necessary, the patient can be referred to, and. Subspecialists will be able to accurately determine the cause and prescribe treatment.

Diagnostics

The examination must be comprehensive. A thorough collection of complaints, anamnesis and an objective examination will provide information about the person’s condition and the presence of associated symptoms.

If, apart from loss of appetite and weight loss, there are no symptoms, it is necessary to look for pathology of the whole organism.

Laboratory and instrumental methods for examining the body:

• general analysis blood and urine;
• biochemical analysis blood (renal and liver tests, rheumatic tests);
• blood test for hormones, tumor markers and sugar;
• blood test for HIV and STDs (sexually transmitted diseases);
• Ultrasound ( ultrasound diagnostics) organs abdominal cavity And thyroid gland;
• radiography of organs chest;
• pregnancy test.

Depending on the symptoms, the diagnostic program may change. Only after full examination and receiving test results, the doctor will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Treatment

The basic principle is to treat the underlying disease that caused the loss of appetite. If the reason was infectious disease, needs to be treated with antibiotics. Severe stress can be relieved with sedatives. For nausea, antiemetics are prescribed (described in the table below).

If the cause is pregnancy, then no treatment is required; after a few weeks, the appetite will recover on its own. For hypothyroidism it is prescribed replacement therapy thyroid hormones. Only an endocrinologist can prescribe such drugs. If a tumor is detected, oncologists prescribe chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. For severe mental disorders ah (dementia), sometimes forced feeding with high-calorie mixtures is required through a tube or gastrostomy tube. If you have lost your appetite due to depression or anorexia nervosa, you need to consult a psychotherapist who will help you overcome this illness.

Doctor's advice. You should not self-medicate, as a seemingly insignificant symptom may hide life-threatening diseases. It is necessary to diagnose them in time and prescribe treatment in a timely manner to avoid consequences.

Traditional treatment

You can also restore a healthy appetite at home.

The most common folk methods:

• replenishing the diet with fresh herbs and green vegetables;
• efficient food additive- yeast with vitamin B complex;
• use herbal decoctions half an hour before meals (decoctions of dill, chamomile, lemon balm, peppermint).

All these additives stimulate appetite, improve the digestion process, and have a sedative effect.

Lifestyle adjustments

It is necessary to get rid of bad habits regarding food.

Eat at the same time, in small portions, do not overeat. Avoid snacking between main meals with sweets and sugary carbonated drinks. Instead, eat as many fresh vegetables and fruits as possible.

Get rid of alcohol, smoking, drugs.

You need to sleep at least 8 hours a day. Spend more time on fresh air, if possible, visit sports sections and a swimming pool.

Complications and consequences

Loss of appetite threatens cachexia (profound exhaustion of the body) due to rapid weight loss. Six weeks without food can be fatal.

Nutrient deficiency contributes to changes in the skin (dryness, cracks, peeling), nails (brittleness), and hair (brittleness and loss). The body's defenses (immunity) are also reduced.

The activity of all organs of the body (especially the brain) is disrupted, sleep and memory worsen, and the speed of thinking slows down.

If the cause is identified in time and treatment is started, the consequences can be avoided.

Prevention and prognosis

Prevention of loss of appetite involves preventing diseases that are accompanied by this symptom, as well as supporting healthy image life.

The prognosis depends on the underlying disease, its stage and rate of development. With a timely visit to the doctor, treatment and the absence of complications, the prognosis is favorable.

Appetite may decrease because the need for calories decreases or metabolism slows down. This can lead to:

It's hot outside. The body does not have to expend calories for heating, which means there is no need to consume large amounts of food. In addition, in the heat, the load on the cardiovascular, nervous, and excretory systems increases. And the body decides to make the task easier for itself and not waste energy on digestion.

Inactive lifestyle. Appetite often worsens when a person moves less. For example, when changing a job in which he had to work physically to a sedentary job in an office. Energy consumption decreases, metabolism slows down, and, as a result, the desire to eat decreases.

Old age. Over the years, our sense of smell and perception of taste weakens, which means that less digestive juice is produced when we see a dish. The intestines become lazier with age, and constipation may occur. Metabolism slows down, and there is no special desire to eat.

What should I do?

To improve your appetite, you need to approach menu organization wisely. First of all, go to fractional meals- eat a little, but every 3-4 hours. Remove heavy foods from your diet: mushrooms, fried and fatty foods. Try to eat more vegetables, fruits, berries - their acids stimulate your appetite. If there are no contraindications (gastritis, heartburn), you should use spices and seasonings. And of course, you need to work up an appetite - move more, take a walk.

Need strength for something else

Sometimes the body turns off its appetite because more important processes are occurring in it that need to be directed toward.

Intoxication due to illness. For ARVI, influenza, etc. inflammatory diseases Sometimes you don’t feel like eating at all. Microbes and viruses that cause them release many toxins during their life processes. The liver must remove them. Since it is actively involved in the digestion process, the body decides to remove the additional burden from it.

Stress. When we are nervous, the hormones adrenaline and cortisol are released into the blood, which increase heart rate, breathing, and increase sweating. The brain needs to regulate all these processes, and it is distracted from digestion. True, this is typical only for acute stress. If it is hidden and sluggish, many people, on the contrary, try to console themselves with food.

What should I do?

If you don’t feel like eating, during an acute period of illness (against the background high temperature) you can get by with a vitamin drink: juices, fruit drinks, tea with honey. But when it gets better, you need to eat so that the body can replenish energy losses. Priority is given to light protein dishes, vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins A and C.

You need to force yourself to eat afterward nervous tension. When it subsides, the body is depleted - its resources need to be restored. Products rich in magnesium are especially important for this: nuts, legumes, buckwheat, cabbage, beef.

When to go to the doctor

Decreased appetite is a frequent companion to gastritis, hepatitis, and problems with the pancreas. It can occur when the thyroid gland is malfunctioning, diabetes mellitus. Very often appetite worsens with cancer and autoimmune diseases. Depression can cause food aversions.

What should I do?

Contact your doctor if you experience a noticeable decrease in appetite for a week or more; if, against the background of reluctance to eat, pain occurs in the abdomen, joints, back, headache, nausea; if there is no appetite, and you feel anxiety, apathy, loss of strength, unusual irritability; if, although your appetite is poor and you eat very little, your weight does not decrease and even increases. Most likely, a series of examinations will be required, after which the doctor will make a diagnosis and begin treatment.

Do you know what many people who want to lose weight dream about? No?! Yes, about losing your appetite just like that without any reason... But not wanting to eat is a state that does not at all indicate health and correct flow processes in the body. Why? Because loss of appetite can be caused by many reasons, not just self-esteem. Very often, appetite disappears due to stress, psychological problems, nervous disorders. Sometimes lack of appetite can be due to long-term use some medications. These may be some types of antibiotics, drugs for the treatment of arthritis, to reduce blood pressure, eliminating swelling, painkillers. But there may be other reasons.

To establish an objective reason for the lack of normal need for food, you need to undergo an examination. Very often, in addition to psychological reasons, lack of appetite may be a consequence of certain painful conditions. This may serve alarm signal that not everything is fine in the body, and there are serious changes in work internal organs.

Therefore, if you experience frequent, long-term loss of appetite, it would be right to contact your local physician, or consult with specialists - a gastroenterologist, psychologist or nutritionist.

Some reasons for not wanting to eat

As we have already said, a loss of appetite can occur due to health problems. Most common reasons are:

Violation normal operation gastrointestinal tract: The occurrence of gastritis, cholecystitis, dysbacteriosis. These diseases are often accompanied by pain, weakness, nausea, which often leads to a lack of desire to eat, leading to severe exhaustion.

Errors in the diet: If you want to get rid of excess weight, a person exhausts himself with a diet. As a result, nutrition becomes irrational and restrictive. The diet lacks a certain category of foods, useful substances. Rapid weight loss begins, accompanied by loss of appetite. It often ends in the development of anorexia.

Fasting: With a long or one-day refusal to eat, a complete loss of appetite often occurs. Especially if fasting occurs without medical supervision. Carrying out such fasting on your own is very dangerous, since if you have diseases for which fasting is contraindicated, their exacerbation may begin. This very often causes complete loss of appetite.

Incorrect treatment, unhealthy products: Long-term use potent drugs, medicines, herbal infusions, decoctions, without a doctor’s recommendation or with an incorrect diagnosis - one of the reasons for loss of appetite. Also, refusal to eat can be caused by drug use, smoking, alcohol abuse, certain weight loss products, and the use of low-quality medications.

Improper (irrational) nutrition: Appetite disappears due to poor diet, expired, stale foods, the consumption of which leads to the formation of poisons and toxins. The entry of these harmful substances into the blood leads to poor health when you don’t feel like eating at all.

Psycho-emotional state: Under stress, frustration, after conflicts, quarrels, troubles, a person often withdraws into himself and refuses food

Consequences of impaired appetite

Of course, every person experiences this state at least once in their life. At short-term violation nothing bad will happen, since the body is capable of self-healing. However, if you don’t want to eat for a long time and this condition occurs often, this can lead to very adverse health consequences. With prolonged fasting, hunger is felt by all internal organs and tissues of the body, including the brain.

A particularly dangerous consequence of fasting is anorexia. This disease occurs against the background of prolonged hunger and is caused by psychopathological disorders. IN lately The so-called anorexia nervosa has become widespread. First, a person seeks to correct the shortcomings of his figure and refuses food. Then the appetite disappears completely. During fasting, muscle atrophy occurs, the functioning of the musculoskeletal system is disrupted, and the functions of entire systems and individual internal organs are disrupted. How longer person starving himself, food completely ceases to be absorbed by the body. This is very dangerous condition and requires long-term treatment.

Long walks in the fresh air and vigorous exercise will help you regain a good appetite. Good effect have infusions and decoctions from medicinal plants stimulating appetite. Prepare infusions from the herbs wormwood, mint, yarrow, calamus roots, and spring.

Freshly squeezed lemon juice will help restore a good appetite.

But often it is possible to increase the desire to eat only after treating the underlying disease that caused the loss of appetite. In this case, as well as when anorexia appears, only a doctor can help. Especially if this condition is caused by prolonged fasting and changes begin in the body - dysfunction of the endocrine system, inflammation of the liver, stomach, pancreas. Consultation and treatment with an endocrinologist, psychotherapist, gastroenterologist will quickly provide full recovery and restore your appetite.

If you have lost your appetite, then in order to track the causes of this condition, you need to seek help from medical specialists. So approach the problem with full responsibility. A good appetite will ensure a positive attitude towards yourself and your life, restore health and good mood to for many years. Be healthy!

A complete lack of appetite is wake-up call, signaling malfunctions in the body (endocrine disorders, rheumatic diseases, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, etc.) Let's try to figure out what the causes of poor appetite are, whether it is possible to quickly improve nutrition and restore health.

Why do I lose my appetite?

Decreased appetite or refusal to eat leads to an imbalance in food balance, a decrease in the content of nutrients and glucose in the blood, which is dangerous for the normal functioning of the body. The main functions of food - energy, bioregulatory, plastic, adaptive, protective, signal-motivational - ensure the vital activity of the body and the constancy of the internal environment. Once in the body, food promotes the construction of new cells, participates in the formation of enzymes and hormones, and replenishes the body with proteins, minerals and vitamins.

If there is no appetite for a long time or any other disturbance in the habitual relationship with food appears, this is a signal that the person needs help. A psychotherapist, gastroenterologist, nutritionist, endocrinologist are specialists who will determine the causes of appetite disorders and help restore it.

Loss or decreased appetite in adults can have a number of causes:

• Intoxication of the body as a consequence inflammatory processes and poisoning.

Occurs during ARVI, intestinal infections, hepatitis B and C, chronic renal failure. Intoxication is accompanied by rheumatic diseases in acute form(lupus erythematosus, polyarthritis, vasculitis, rheumatoid arthritis), poisoning food products, medications, low-quality alcohol, carbon monoxide. A person has practically no appetite, weakness appears, as the body has difficulty digesting food. You cannot force feed a patient so as not to harm. It is useful to drink plenty of fluids, which will help get rid of toxins that have arisen as the body fights infection. To find out the cause of the malaise, it is recommended to undergo a detailed blood test and stool culture for intestinal pathogens.

• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Acute conditions.

Digestive disorders occur with gastritis, enteritis, colitis, gastric ulcers, and liver diseases. Accompanied by nausea, vomiting, heartburn, belching with bitterness, painful sensations in the esophagus and stomach. At the same time, a person is purely reflexively afraid to eat. Frequent split meals are recommended (liquid porridges based on oatmeal, buckwheat, semolina, rice cereals, without salt and seasonings). This diet should be supplemented traditional treatment which the doctor will prescribe. It is important to undergo an ultrasound of the abdominal organs, fibrogastroscopy (for gastritis), a general blood test and liver tests. To exclude viral hepatitis, it is recommended to donate blood for hepatitis B and C.

• Disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system.

Lead not only to loss of appetite, but also to rapid fatigue, constant drowsiness, lower blood pressure, slower speech. Such symptoms appear for many years. Pathologies of the thyroid gland are sometimes associated with improper functioning of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus.

It is necessary to be examined by an endocrinologist, donate blood for thyroid hormones T3, T4 and TSH. If there is a suspicion of malfunction of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, the doctor will prescribe computed tomography brain.

• Metabolic disorders due to cancer.

Malignant formations disrupt the metabolism in the body, so taste sensations are distorted and appetite disappears. The person feels nauseous, weakness appears, and intolerance to meat and dairy products often occurs. Oncologist in case of suspected malignant tumor prescribes examinations in accordance with clinical manifestations and, based on the results, prescribes treatment.

• Diseases of the nervous system, psychological disorders(loss of appetite due to depression, neuroses, dementia).

Appetite can change both downward and upward. Loss of appetite for nervous soil characterized by a lack of sensation of taste in food. Sometimes the very mention of food or its smell causes a negative reaction, including nausea and vomiting. A person eats only to survive, since food itself does not bring pleasure, and even a small portion of food taken causes a feeling of fullness in the stomach.

Anorexia nervosa is one of the mental disorders and is common among young girls. The pathological desire to correct the “flaws” of the figure at any cost, even at normal weight, leads to a refusal to eat. Over time, a persistent aversion to food appears, muscles atrophy, and the functioning of the musculoskeletal system is disrupted. Patients refuse food for so long that it is no longer absorbed by the body. A change in the psyche occurs, and the person is no longer able to get out of this state on his own. A psychotherapist will help, and in severe cases, inpatient treatment.

Loss of appetite during pregnancy, children and the elderly

If a child has lost his appetite, he does not receive enough vitamins, micro, and macroelements necessary for growth and development. Babies do not want to eat when their baby teeth are cutting in (from 3 months to 3 years), since this process is often accompanied by elevated temperature and pain. Infants and older children refuse to eat if they have stomatitis (rashes and sores on the oral mucosa), which causes pain.

Pregnant women may lose their appetite for a short period of time.

Pregnant women may lose their appetite for a short period of time. Foods that a woman loved before pregnancy often cause disgust at the beginning of pregnancy, morning or daytime nausea appears, which does not contribute to appetite.

There are simple ways increase appetite:

• Eat less, but more often.

Fractional meals are better accepted by the body. It is recommended to eat small meals in 4-5 meals at the same time. A beautiful table setting will help whet your appetite.

• Fresh air, sports.

Walking in the fresh air and physical activity will give a boost of energy and stimulate appetite.

• Get rid of bad habits.

Deprived of the pleasure of nicotine and alcohol, the body will look for it in something else, and most often in food.

• Healing herbal infusions and products.

Infusion of wormwood, tea with mint, radish juice, onion, garlic, parsnip, chicory, calamus, black currant, plantain, all citrus fruits, green vegetables increase intestinal motility, strengthen the stomach, and increase appetite. A course of vitamins, minerals, ascorbic acid will strengthen the body and stimulate appetite.

• Increased drinking regime.

In case of poisoning or overeating, clean drinking water – best medicine. It flushes poisons and toxins from the body. Dehydration disrupts all vital processes at the cellular level.

• Treatment of the underlying disease.

For gastritis and other gastrointestinal pathologies, kidney diseases, and rheumatic diseases, you need to get qualified medical advice and treatment.

• One-day fasting and diet.

Short-term fasting for 12 or 24 hours helps improve appetite. The body will rest and get rid of residues undigested food, poisons and toxins. If you have gastritis, fasting is contraindicated.

Including fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt) and fiber (microcrystalline cellulose, vegetables, fruits, bran) in the diet in large quantities restores digestive system, normalizes intestinal microflora and stimulates appetite.

Conclusion

To increase the appetite of a child or adult, you need to promptly find out and eliminate the causes of disorders (cure diseases, change lifestyle, adjust diet). A healthy appetite will ensure wellness and mood for many years of life.

It’s sad, but more often than not, what provokes anxiety in us is not a reduced appetite, but, on the contrary, an excessive appetite. Therefore, we even accept the loss of the latter with pleasure. This situation is especially relevant for women who always dream of losing weight. But the fair sex does not always think about the fact that partial (hyporexia), and even more so complete loss of appetite (anorexia) is extremely dangerous to health. Depriving yourself of products important for life is fraught, at a minimum, with the occurrence of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). At most – fatal.

A good appetite is not a deviation from the norm, as many people mistakenly believe. On the contrary, doctors consider it an indicator of mental and physiological well-being. We will talk about the reasons for reducing food cravings, how to safely and effectively increase appetite, including in little ones.

Why you don’t want to eat, or reasons for loss of appetite

Our body is an almost ideal system, which, with the reasonable attitude of its “owner,” works practically without failures or errors. In this complex structure each element is interconnected with others. Everything that happens to our body is due to the impact on it environment, not always favorable. It's the same with appetite. It cannot decline without reason, much less disappear altogether. Therefore, the first step is to find and neutralize the root cause of the unpleasant condition.

The most common causes of decreased appetite in adults:

• Violation of sleep and rest patterns.
• Avitaminosis.
• Lack of physical activity.
• Lack of fresh air.
• Some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver (gastritis, pancreatitis, stomach ulcers).
• Acute infectious diseases.
• Autoimmune diseases.
• Diseases with disruption of the endocrine system.
• Diabetes mellitus.
• Mental illnesses.
• Oncological diseases.
• Anxiety, depression or frequent stress.
• Some drugs and therapies: antihypertensive drugs, antibiotics, medications oncological diseases, radiation therapy, taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Smoking.
• Alcohol abuse.

Doctors call dehydration – insufficient water intake – one of the reasons for loss of appetite. You need to drink at least 5–7 glasses of filtered or bottled water per day, or mineral water. Liquids such as tea, juice, coffee or other drinks are not included.

How to increase your appetite: effective ways

Try watching this video, maybe it will help whet your appetite :))

1. Medicines

There is quite large number medical supplies that can increase appetite. Not all of them are safe and harmless, so you should consult a doctor before using any of them. At a minimum, study pharmacological action medication, contraindications and indications for use, as well as side effects. To the most effective means include:

• Insulin.
• Peritol.
• GHRP peptides.
• Anabolic steroid.
• Pernexin elixir.
• Elkar.
• Primoblan depot.

Some of these medications can be used to increase a child’s appetite. Also, drugs and vitamins for children such as Linex and Anaferon have a less pronounced but noticeable effect.

Some antidepressants can significantly increase appetite: Fluoxetine, Paxil, Cipramil, Amitriptyline, etc. They can only be taken as prescribed by a specialist and under his supervision.

2. Vitamins

When puzzled by the question of how to increase your appetite, do not forget about the benefits of vitamins. They are especially important for the body during the period of adaptation after past illness, with weakened immunity or during the off-season - in early spring or late autumn. The most effective microelements and vitamins that increase appetite:

• Iron preparations – Ferrum lek, Fenyuls, Sorbifer, etc.
• Vitamin B12.
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid).

When raising a child’s appetite, it is preferable to use children’s vitamin complexes:

• Multitabs.
• Alphabet.
• Pikovit.

It is not necessary to take vitamin tablets. Vitamin B12 is found in dairy products, eggs, liver, kidney, meat and fish. Increased concentration ascorbic acid in the rose hips, sauerkraut, currants, parsley and dill, bell pepper.

3. Traditional medicine recipes

Bitterness and acids taken immediately before eating, preferably 20 to 30 minutes before meals, help to increase appetite. Essential substances are found in many medicinal herbs, fruits and berries:

• Sour apple varieties.
• Orange.
• Grapefruit.
• Pickles (cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.).
• Sauerkraut (you can drink 2 - 3 tablespoons of cabbage brine).
• Lemon juice or pulp.
• Wormwood decoction (1 tablespoon three times a day).
• Dandelion root tincture (¼ cup three times a day).
• Centaury infusion (one tablespoon 3 – 4 times a day).
• Infusion from the series (one tablespoon 4 times a day).
• A decoction of sunflower petals (2 to 3 tablespoons).
• Honey (1 teaspoon on an empty stomach).

4. Fight bad habits

The myth that a person who quits smoking always gets better is not entirely a myth. Quitting cigarettes can really increase your appetite. Not only that, bad habit dulls our sensitivity to smells and tastes. Those who quit smoking often say that food has become much tastier, new taste sensations have appeared, and the previously blurred sense of smell has intensified.

5. Physical activity and being outdoors

This method is especially effective in restoring a child’s appetite. Parents often wonder why their child, who spends the whole day motionless at the computer or TV, almost never feels hungry. And this is quite normal. The body does not burn calories and does not need additional energy.

Take your child out for a walk, send him to the pool or water park, or go on a hike. And you will be amazed at how a tired baby with cheeks flushed from the fresh air will absorb his portion of lunch or dinner.

For adults, these indications are no less effective. Finally tear yourself away from your office chair or home sofa and spend the whole day in the fresh air. Start doing exercises, join a sports club, run around the house. The main thing is to start. Movement is truly life. And also vigor and... appetite!

6. Diet and diet

To increase your appetite, be sure to normalize your diet and the content of your diet. It is enough to follow a few simple but important rules:

• Don't force yourself to eat large portions. Eat less, but more often. The best option– 5 – 7 times a day.
• When preparing dishes, use natural appetite stimulants - spices and seasonings.
• Set the table beautifully. Eat brightly colored vegetables and fruits, especially yellow and red ones. Science has proven that these colors stimulate the appetite.
• Say a firm “no” to emergency snacks on the run. Each meal should become a small pleasant ritual - leisurely, in comfortable position and in a good mood.

7. Mental health status

Learn to relax and experience a sense of pleasure from life. Very often, the reasons for decreased appetite are frequent stress, anxiety, dissatisfaction with oneself and one’s life. If you can’t cope with the problems on your own, make an appointment with a good psychologist.

Atrophy of taste sensations, decrease or complete absence appetite are clinical signs quite a lot serious illnesses. Self-medication can result in loss of precious time and irreversible development of the disease.

And in this video, herbalist Irina Zelenskaya tells how to use medicinal herbs increase your appetite. Be sure to check it out.