Personal Health

When the brain is hungry for dopamine

What and how much we eat, we have only partly under control. Scientists at the Max-Planck-Institute for metabolism research in Cologne have shown that the gastric-intestinal tract with the brain and the reward system of our Desire for food controls.

At the first Taste of milk shakes, will be distributed in the brain, a neurotransmitter called dopamine. If the Shake has reached the stomach, there was a second release, such as Marc Tittgemeyer and Heiko Backes, research group leader at the Max-Planck-Institute for metabolism research, observed. Tittgemeyer, explains: "Previous experiments with mice have shown that it is reported to the brain when food reaches the stomach. Our results show that this also happens in humans."

If the test persons had a great appetite for milk shake, was the first payout is particularly high. The following, when he reached the stomach, however, was lower. Backes suspected: "Our data show that our Demand is closely linked to dopamine. The second dopamine release from food, we may, until this is done." This could contribute to Obesity in the long term.

In order to clarify how the food intake is controlled, the scientists their study participants, milk shakes, and the release of dopamine in the brain followed. Dopamine is the main neurotransmitter of the reward system in the brain, and is secreted when we reach certain goals, or the Motivation, to feel, to do something Specific.

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