Japanese scientists have discovered the neurons responsible for addiction to chocolate and sweets during times of stress. A step forward that could, in the long term, contribute to the fight against obesity.
Where does that sudden craving for chocolate and sweets come from when you’re under stress? Researchers at the National Institute of Physiological Sciences, located in Aichi Prefecture in Japan, have identified the neurons responsible for these impulses by observing the behavior of mice. According to them, the desire for carbohydrates of rodents would be multiplied by three in times of stress and their consumption of fats reduced by half compared to a normal period.
“A lot of people who eat too many sweets when they’re stressed tend to think it’s their fault, because they can’t control their urges”, whereas everything happens in the brain, explains Yasuhiko Minokoshi, who conducted the study. This research could prove essential in the fight against obesity. Because if there is no question of destroying the neurons guilty of such an addiction, the scientist underlines that “if we manage to find a particular molecule in the neurons and target it to suppress part of its activities, this could reduce the excessive consumption of carbohydrates”. But Yasuhiko Minokoshi remains cautious, pointing out that such an action requires time and further research.
A breakthrough in the fight against obesity
For several years, studies have been showing that regular consumption of chocolate is beneficial for the cognitive functions of the brain and on the cardiovascular level. But these results are much more important since they could help relieve overweight or obese people who think they are responsible for their condition. The researchers’ study may indeed make them realize that the problem is deeper and that by treating it, they could see their daily consumption of sweets decrease and their diet become balanced again between carbohydrates and fats.
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