Researchers in the United States have found that memories play a major role in determining the amount of food that the individual consumes, and can be one of the reasons for the problem of excessive food in some.
A research team from the Monel Center for Chemical Senses Research in the United States found that a group of neurons in the hippocampus within the brain are responsible for storing memories of sugars and fats, and that they are directly related to food consumption and weight gain, and may have a role in ways to treat obesity and weight gain .
In response to a question about the extent of the impact of memories on the quality and amount of food that each individual consumes, researcher Joelum de Lartig, head of the study team, says that the answer to this question is “definitely yes”, as the team was able for the first time to determine the memory system related to food within the brain and its direct connection Excessive food and obesity associated with eating habits.
The study, published by the scientific journal (Nature Metabolism), specialized in the field of food metabolism research, highlights a group of cells in the brain of mice that stores memories of sugars and fats, and monitored their concrete effect on food consumption rates and body weight. “At the present time, we are permanently exposed to advertising materials and a general climate aimed at reminding us of the fun of the food experiences that we are going through,” said researcher De Lartig.
Move our nutritional behaviors
He added in statements to the website “Steick Daily”, which specializes in scientific research, that “the amazing matter is that we have identified a specific group of neurons inside the hippocampus, which is not only formed our food memories, but also to move our nutritional behaviors, and this neurological bond can be it It has concrete repercussions on body weight and metabolism.
The researchers say that these neurons make memories of the places of “nutrients rich”, as if they were spatial memory, especially for sugars and fats, and they added that stopping the work of these cells disrupts the animal’s ability to retrieve the memories of sugars, and thus reduces the rate of consumption of sugar and prevents it Weight gain, even if experimental mice are exposed to food meals that contribute to weight gain.
On the contrary, it became clear to researchers that reactivating these cells enhances food memories, and increases food consumption, which reveals the extent of the impact of food memories on our nutritional behaviors.
The researcher de Lartig believes that these results present two new scientific concepts, the first of which is that there are certain neurons in the brain responsible for the memories related to food, and the second is that these memories directly affect the amount of food that the individual consumes. He says: “Although it is not surprising that we remember the experiences of eating delicious food, it has been supposed for a long time that these memories have no effect on our nutritional behaviors, but the surprising thing is that curbing these cells can prevent weight gain and affect the response to Filled meals and sugars. “
The research team stated that in many cases, the role of memory is neglected as a main engine towards eating, but this study shows the direct link between memory and metabolism, and differs from other studies that it highlights the repercussions of memory on the integrity of the metabolism in the human body.
The researchers emphasized that getting rid of neurons that respond to sugars in the hippocampus inside the brain of mice not only disrupts the memories of food, but also reduces the amount of sugar that the animal consumes and protects against weight gain, which highlights the relationship between some nerve circles in the brain and the health of the metabolism, A field that is often overlooked in the field of obesity studies.
“The memories systems in the hippocampus, which developed to help animals to identify food places and sources, plays a major role for survival,” says researcher Ming Chen Yang, a student at the University of Pennsylvania, and one of the participants in the study. “Sitik Daily” is “in modern environments, where there is an abundance of food and indications of its presence everywhere, these nerve circles may lead to excessive eating, which contributes to obesity.”
privacy
Among the other main results of the study is that the memories of food are characterized by an extreme privacy for each category, meaning that the neurons of sugars differ from cells for fatty foods, and each type of these cells does not affect the body’s response to foods that fall within the framework of another type or class.
The researcher de Lartege stated that “the degree of allocating these nerve circles is a surprising issue, as it confirms the accuracy of the brain’s response to different types of food and their implications for food behaviors, and this ensures that the animal can distinguish between the sources of different types of nutrients in the environment,” he added: ” We have been able to distinguish between the neurons of foods rich in fats and cells for sugars.
“This study opens the door wide to new possibilities to deal with obesity problems, as it is possible by targeting the hippocampus in the brain to disrupt the work of memories that drive us towards unhealthy foods rich in calories that cause weight gain, and this scientific topic may lead to Reaching obesity in the world -rich countries at the present time. “