Hormone triggers ‘food desires’
Food may appear more appealing to consumers because of a particular hormone, new research has suggested.
According to scientists at Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, ghrelin is a stomach hormone that triggers the brain to respond to eating for pleasure.
The hormone is connected to areas in the brain that are also involved with drug addiction behaviour, the researchers found.
Dr Alain Dagher, the lead researcher and a neurologist at the Montreal Neurological Institute, stated that ghrelin acts to enhance the brains response to food cues, such as smells and sight.
“Our study demonstrates that ghrelin actually activates certain regions of the brain to be more responsive to visual food cues, thereby enhancing the hedonic and incentive responses to food-related cues,” he said.
A recent study by researchers at the Yale Centre for Perinatal, Paediatric and Environmental Epidemiology suggested that chocolate could benefit pregnant women who could suffer from preeclampsia.
For further information, click here
Related posts:
- Bitter melon could help diabetes sufferers
- ‘Brain protection’ qualities found in caffeine
- Meat linked to prostate cancer
- Food dyes linked to cancer prevention
- Food packaging ‘needs to move forward’
- Fruit used in disease prevention
- DOCTORS SUGGEST HEART PILLS SHOULD BE SERVED UP WITH FAST FOOD MEALS
- New berry grown in Scotland
