Between two actions at the office or during our days or evenings in front of Netflix to take it easy, sweets or other small things to snack on are always welcome… In many cases, these snacks are uncontrollable and far from having been programmed, this imposes itself on us as if by magic. As a result, we give in to temptation, we eat more than we should and all this to the great displeasure of our dear favorite jeans. How can we explain the appearance of his almost impulsive desires? Researchers from the University of California looked into the question and according to the results of their research published in the journal Nature Communications, this could have a link with neurological functioning. Explanations…
Are cravings caused by hunger or craving?
First of all, no one can deny how much this chocolate that we have desired so much does not only do us good in the mouth, but also on our morale. It gives us such pleasure that instead of the square of chocolate that we had initially allowed ourselves, we devour the whole bar. We can therefore say goodbye to our efforts made throughout the hours which preceded this major departure from our diet. According to researchers, this behavior results from the presence of hyperactive neurons in an area of the brain. The latter would play an action on the desire to eat fatty foods even without necessarily being hungry.
How can neurons induce us to snack?
To explain this mechanism, the researchers carried out tests on mice, because like humans, they also have a cluster of cells called GCaMP6 located in an area of the brain. “This region we are studying is called the periaqueductal gray (PAG), and it is found in the brainstem, which is very old in evolutionary history, and as such it is functionally similar between humans and mice”, specifies associate professor of psychology at UCLA Avishek Adhikari, in a press release.
They then noticed that activation of PAG cells tends to elicit a panic response in mice. They therefore sought to know how the mice would react if only the cluster of cells called GCaMP6 was stimulated. Therefore, they injected a genetically modified virus into the brains of mice. The researchers then exposed the subjects to a bright laser to record the mice’s brain activity. Then, they were plunged into darkness for 12 hours and into light for 12 hours to recreate a 24-hour cycle.
The team of scientists observed that the mice immediately began looking for food as soon as the light was turned on, even after eating copiously. The researchers explain that the mice’s attitude was rather linked to desire and not to hunger. “ Hunger is aversive, meaning that mice generally avoid feeling hungry if they can. But they look for activation of these cells, which suggests that the circuit is not the cause of hunger”, explains Professor Avishek Adhikari. He is pointing out that “this circuit provokes the desire for very rewarding and very caloric food. These cells can cause mice to eat more high-calorie foods, even in the absence of hunger”.
Do cravings due to food cravings reside in the brain?
These results raise questions about how human beings function. “Like mice, humans also have vgat PAG cells in the brainstem. It could be that if this circuit is overactive in a person, they might feel more rewarded when eating or crave food when they are not hungry”, explain the researchers. However, they specify that in the event of less activity in the circuit, the association of the notion of pleasure linked to feeding it could be less important. So this could potentially lead to certain types of eating disorders.
However, the researchers specify that for the moment, these are only theories and that future research will take place to confirm these theories.
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Dallo Drame
Source: Grazia
Caroline Perkins is a renowned journalist in the field of fashion and entertainment. She currently works as a writer at 247 news updates. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for all things fashion and entertainment, Caroline’s writing provides readers with in-depth analysis and unique perspectives on the latest developments in the field.
