Gut hormone release induced by food ingestion.

Many polypeptides have been identified and localized to the gut, as well as the brain and other organs. These hormones are released into the circulation in response to meals, either through primary stimulation by a component of the meal, or through secondary stimulation as a result of separate action of the meal. Some of the released hormones may have physiological actions on important functions in the body. The sites from which the hormones are released may vary. Similarly, the physiological actions of hormones released by a meal may vary with the site at which the hormones act.