3. Loss of Appetite: A Deceptive Indifference to Food
What happens when the very sight of food turns you off? When your once-voracious appetite dwindles into indifference? Losing interest in food is a symptom that particularly muddies the waters. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill “I’m not hungry” scenario. It’s a symptom that creeps up on you, first masquerading as occasional disinterest before settling in as a more chronic companion.
The intricate part about this symptom is its mind-body connection. You’d think loss of appetite is purely a mental thing—maybe you’re stressed or upset. But no, it’s not psychological. Here, it’s your body subtly telling you something’s not right down there in the pit of your stomach. With autoimmune gastritis, your gut’s ability to signal the brain about hunger gets disrupted. It’s as if the regular communication lines have been cut, and now there’s a confused silence.
So what happens on the cellular level? The inflammation and autoimmune attack interfere with the stomach’s secretion of ghrelin, also known as the “hunger hormone.” When the stomach lining gets inflamed, ghrelin secretion can decrease, sending fewer hunger signals to the brain. It’s a nuanced change that you might not notice immediately but becomes impossible to ignore as time passes.
And there’s a twist. A diminished appetite doesn’t always mean weight loss. Counterintuitively, some people might even experience weight gain. Why? Because while you may not feel hungry, you could find yourself reaching for easy, comfort foods when you do eat—foods that are often high in sugar or fats. It’s as though the body is trying to quickly compensate for a perceived lack of sustenance, however inaccurate that perception may be. (3)
