Tips to Increase Appetite
For those with a low appetite or wishing to gain weight, trying to increase appetite can be a significant problem. Low appetite could be a symptom of an underlying medical problem, which should be dealt with primarily before trying any remedies. But several factors can influence hunger: metabolism, taste, nausea or sickness, types of food available and health. Even a vitamin deficiency can reduce appetite or change how your food tastes.
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Do Not Drink Before Meals
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Drinking water before meals can make you feel full before you start eating. A study by Virgina Tech studied the effect of drinking water before meals. Those drinking two glasses of water before meals lost an extra 5 lbs compared to those who did not. If you are thirsty, drink water after you have finished eating rather than before or during.
Exercise
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Exercise increases appetite because it burns calories so your appetite is stimulated to encourage you to eat more. If you are going to exercise, then ensure you eat more than you burn off to encourage weight gain and a continued increase in appetite.
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Vitamin B Complex
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Vitamin B may increase your appetite and lead to a slight increased weight gain. A study by the University of Chicago saw a caloric increase in children ingesting vitamin B. Take around 100mg or more a day to help increase your appetite.
Zinc
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A zinc deficiency has been shown to decrease appetite as it influences how foods tastes. Taking a zinc supplement of around 80mg a day may be helpful if your appetite decrease is due to a zinc deficiency.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Food image by Yvonne Bogdanski from Fotolia.com
