Brain plays major role for high carbs cravings: Japanese study

NewsBharati 20-Jan-2018

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Tokyo, January 20: Whenever we feel stressed we crave for carbs more. Don’t blame yourself for gobbling two pizzas during stress, rather blame your brain. A Japanese study has demonstrated how the brain plays a role in the preference for carbohydrates or fats.

A team of researchers at the National Institute for Physiological Sciences found that activating neurons, which plays a role to respond to social stress, increased the appetite for carbohydrates in mice. During the experiment researchers noticed that rodents with active neurons consumed a lot more high carb foods than the mice under normal conditions.

The study which is first of its kind could help find a way to shift people away from gorging on sugary treats or unhealthy junk food. Till now, the exact mechanism involved in the selection of food remains unknown.

Corresponding author of the study, Yasuhiko Minokoshi says, “dysregulation of food selection behavior is associated with stressful life events in humans. CRH(corticotropin-releasing hormone) neurons in the PVH(paraventricular hypothalamus) are activated by stress. This study will contribute to the better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of stress and obesity on food selection behavior”.

Till now, it is not possible to apply it for human diet improvement as suppressing neurons can work in another way too. Hence, the researchers are trying to find out the exact molecule of the neuron to curb the high carb food intake.

Japanese Study High Carb Food Lifestyle Brain Neuron