I’ve long thought there was something to this theory… And it seems I was on the right track. Primary research has found specific areas in the brain that store memories of sugar and fat – profoundly impacting food intake, and possibly, obesity…
That, in turn, has a major effect on body weight. And, as we all know, any impairment in such a neuro-structure could have a huge impact on whether we develop obesity or not….
What they did
Monell Chemical Senses Center researchers wanted to prove, once and for all, whether the brain retains actual memories of sugar and fat. Such a finding would link food memory to overeating.
The team studied mouse brains, pinpointing areas of the hippocampus that respond like specific locations for storing memories of experiences involving sugar and fat.
Their experimental method was simple: Inhibit those brain areas and see what happened…
What they found
According to an abstract of the study findings: “Silencing these neurons impairs an animal’s ability to recall sugar-related memories, reduces sugar consumption, and prevents weight gain, even when animals are exposed to diets that contribute to excessive weight gain. Conversely, reactivating these neurons enhances memory for food, increasing consumption and demonstrating how food memories influence dietary behavior.”
“Memory systems in the hippocampus [probably] evolved to help animals locate and remember food sources critical for survival,” says study first author Mingxin Yang, a University of Pennsylvania doc-toral student in the de Lartigue lab. “In modern environments, where food is abundant and cues are everywhere, these memory circuits may drive overeating, contributing to obesity.”
“What’s surprising is that we’ve pinpointed a specific population of neurons in the hippocampus that not only forms these food-related memories but also drives our eating behavior,” says study spokes-man Dr. Guillaume de Lartigue.
The takeaway
“In today’s world, we are constantly bombarded with advertisements and environmental triggers designed to remind us of pleasurable food experiences,” said de Lartigue. ” This connection could have significant implications for body weight and metabolic health.”
But De Lartigue’s team has, so far, only studied mouse brains. As similar as mice an humans are in come ways they differ in others. So there appears there’s still a lot of research to do before specific applications aimed at fighting obesity can be developed.
My take
I’ve said it before, and I’ll point out again: The past three months or so have seen the publication of a number new lab studies identifying substances and processes that could constitute ‘magic bullets’ in the fight against obesity. Some of these discoveries could be brought to bear on the problem immed-iately. Others may take years of further study, along with testing and certification before resulting drugs come to market.
One way or other, I have a feeling the middle of this decade will go down in medical history as the turning point in the War On Fat…
~ Maggie J.