Results reveal a “one-two punch” to the brain's reward system, possibly impeding dieting efforts. Understanding why we overeat unhealthy foods has been a long-standing mystery. While we know food's strong power influences our choices, the precise circuitry in our brains behind this is unclear. Th

The vagus nerve sends internal sensory information from the gut to the brain about the nutritional value of food. But, the molecular basis of the reward in the brain associated with what we eat has been incompletely understood.

Now, a new study published in Cell Metabolism by a team from the Monell Chemical Senses Center, unravels the internal neural wiring, revealing separate fat and sugar craving pathways, as well as a concerning result: Combining these pathways overly triggers our desire to eat more than usual.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413123004667?via%3Dihub (open access)

  • edric@lemm.ee
    2·
    10 months ago

    It’s mindblowing how sugar (usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup) is added on most food products in the US, even on stuff that don’t really need them. I started being conscious and reading labels on the things I buy at the grocery store and it’s so hard to avoid the stuff.

    • Riftinducer
      2·
      10 months ago

      No kidding, I remember buying a loaf of rye bread when I went to the US and being shocked that it tasted sweet. It’s rye bread, sweetness is not the flavour I was going for.