Ghrelin is a circulating hormone produced by enteroendocrine cells of the gastrointestinal tract, especially the stomach; it is called the "Hunger Hormone."
Anatomically modern humans arose in Africa about 300,000 years ago and reached behavioral modernity about 50,000 years ago.
The choice of food for our ancient ancestors was not much difficult as it is for us. We simply can not eat anything over the land and in the ocean.
Although it is not known for sure when humans first controlled the fire, evidence suggests that Homo Erectus early controlled fire about 400,000 years ago.
With the discovery of fire, humans gradually gave up eating raw meat. Phylogenic analysis suggests that Homo Erectus was cooking their food as early as 50,000 years ago, although human ancestors invented cooking 1.8 million to 2.3 million years ago.
What makes the feeding habits of modern humans and animals different is we can not only eat anything. This minimizes our food availability. We depend on agriculture.
Even in the twenty-first-century, starvation is a massive threat to humanity. Every year millions of people die of starvation. According to reports, approximately 842 million people are suffering from hunger. About 9.1 million people die of starvation every year. The African continent is facing the worst condition.
According to the Global Hunger Index 2019, India ranked 102 of 117 countries. The Central African region is at the bottom of the list.
Starvation is not an issue confined to a single country or continent; it is not only affecting a single race or religion but all over the world, hunger exists more or less.
It's the stomach for which many go to work. Hunger, at a certain point, completely debases a human being. There are millions of people all over the world who migrate from their places, millions of people who work day and night just because they need food.
On their other hand, millions can afford a good meal, they have plenty and do not think for a second about the hard fact that their leftover can make someone's full meal.
Especially in the metro cities and among the elite class of the society, there is a considerable number of people who think wasting food is not a big issue. Perhaps it's not a big issue as a single plate can make no significant difference, but a cumulative effort by billions can cause a noticeable impact.
In recent times, we have witnessed an exodus of standards due to the COVID-19 outbreak in India. Thousands of migrant workers left their places and returned to their hometowns. Somewhere the fear of starvation because of joblessness is one significant cause of their migration.
Migration because of food is not new; our ancient human ancestors have also migrated from place to place in search of food. The availability of food decided their next settlement, all of our great civilizations, whether the Indus Valley, Harappa, and Mohenjodaro or Egyptian civilization, all have grown up in places where mother Earth supports agriculture.
Because of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak which began in China, there are lockdowns in many parts of the world, with lockdowns the world economy is plunging downwards, the industries, constructions, and other businesses are closed.
The employees working in those sectors are mainly daily wagers who lack enough savings to survive without work in such an emergency, like the COVID-19 pandemic. As there is no work, there is no money, and no money means no food.
A lockdown is much needed to save the large population, but the governments could be more sympathetic for millions who have no clue about how they'll manage their next meal; there are millions homeless, poverty sickens people. An arrangement for their food security and settlement before lockdown would have given them much relief.
Not only the government but we as human beings must help our fellow human beings. If we can arrange something, we should share this with someone who is in need. It's time to cut our luxury and fulfill the needs of our fellow men.
Food has different meanings; for some, it's luxury, and for some, it's the only remedy for surviving.
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