In a study from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School published in Cell Reports, it was found that when you’re lacking a particular hormone, you will overeat. In fact, you will keep eating after you’re full.
The absence of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) will make you continue eating, even after you’re full, just for pleasure. This was noticed in laboratory mice. GLP-1 was reduced in the central nervous system and they began to overeat, consuming more high fat food.
Reach For More
“The mice in which the GLP-1 deficiency was induced ate beyond the need for calories and showed an increase preference for high fat food,” says Vincent Mirabella, a co-author of the study. “Conversely when we enhanced GLP-1 signalling in the brains of mice we were able to block the preference of high fat foods.”
This hormone is a small sequence of amino acid that do a lot. Mostly, they regulate eating behaviors. The brain and small intestine both produce these hormones to let us know when we’re satisfied and should stop eating.
“The Association is Not Yet Fully Understood”
The scientists involved in the study say that it’s unclear how GLP-1 released in the brain contribute to regulating appetite. In the study, researchers found that increased GLP-1 in the mesolimbic system (which is a reward circuit in the brain) stopped mice from overeating. It even made them lose their interest in high fat food.
“These are the same areas of the brain that controls other addictive behaviors like drug and alcohol abuse and nicotine addiction,” says senior-author and assistant professor Zhiping Pang. “We believe that our work has broad implications in understanding how GLP-1 functions to influence motivational behaviors.”
Further study will help Pang and his cohorts understand the motivation behind hunger for pleasure instead of to gain necessary energy. Of course additives in packaged goods are part of the problem, but we can’t all have this hormone deficiency. More understanding of why we eat for pleasure will help devise effective treatment for those who do.
The Need To Feed
Overeating, specifically high fat foods, drastically increases the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other serious problems.
“Over eating, which causes obesity, can be considered a food addiction, a neuropsychiatric disorder,” Pang says. “By finding out how the central nervous system regulates food intake behavior via GLP-1 signaling, we may be able to provide more targeted therapy with fewer side effects.”
Lead To A Cure
The research is important because of the implications of its findings. Some people do all they can to lose excess weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle, but when the problem is chemical all the juicing and exercise in the world won’t help.
Perhaps with more study, a cure this imbalance will surface, and give everyone the opportunity to live the life they want to live. We’ll have to keep our eyes on this one.
SOURCE: http://neurosciencenews.com/glp-1-deficiency-overeating-2314/
