Zigman (IMAGE) UT Southwestern Medical Center Caption While levels of the so-called "hunger hormone" ghrelin are known to increase when a person doesn't eat, new findings by Drs. Jeffrey Zigman (left) and Michael Lutter suggest that the hormone might also help defend against symptoms of stress-induced depression and anxiety. Credit UT Southwestern Medical Center Usage Restrictions Please use our credit line. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.