Your own brain thwarts diet with 'feed me' signals
When dieters cut calories, starving brain cells fight back, new study shows
By
Jennifer Welsh
When dieters starve themselves of calories, they starve their brain cells as well. New research finds that these hungry brain cells then release "feed me" signals, which drive hunger, slow metabolism and may cause diets to fail.
When the researchers created mice whose brain cells couldn't send out the signals, or appetite-increasing proteins, and these mice were leaner and ate less than normal after being starved.
"We generated a mouse that lacked this process in these neurons," study researcher Rajat Singh, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, said. "What we find is these mice eat less in response to a starvation challenge; they are leaner and they are healthier."
The results likely would apply to humans, as mice are often used as biological models for us, the researchers say; even so, further research is needed to confirm the same process occurs in humans.
Starving the brainThe starvation mechanism and feelings of hunger produced by these neurons is signaled through a process called autophagy (which literally means "self-eating") in which the cell breaks down its used parts. It does this to recycle the used parts, but also to harvest energy.
Most brain cells keep their autophagy at a steady level and don't respond to starvation. These appetite-sensing neurons are different, the researchers found, and are now the only known brain cells to ramp up autophagy in times of starvation.
This increased breakdown increases cellular levels of compounds called free fatty acids. Higher levels of fatty acids signal these special brain cells to release the appetite-inducing protein, which is called agouti-related peptide (AgRP).
Body Odd: Why diet food is so unsatisfying
Turning down appetiteWhen the researchers turned off autophagy in the hypothalamus of mice, AgRP levels stayed low, as did levels of free fatty acids. These changes stopped the hunger signaling during times of starvation. When compared with normal mice, the mutant mice were about 10 percent leaner, were able to burn more energy, were more active and also ate less after food was withheld.
Because this AgRP protein is only expressed in these appetite-controlling neurons, blocking this process should only affect the appetite signaling, not the cellular breakdown and use of stored energy in other parts of the body.
If the process works the same way in humans as it does in mice, interrupting this pathway could help curb hunger and obesity. The researchers are continuing to study these mice and how disrupting this pathway changes their eating habits.
"These mice eat less in response to a starvation challenge, they are leaner and they are healthier," Singh said. "It has tremendous relevance to fighting obesity."
The study was published Aug. 2 in the journal Cell Metabolism.
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As I noted in my comments in and entry below, we do not need to be ill (including overweight) if we eat nutritionally functional foods for humans. We don't need pills, or special diet plans - we need an appropriate diet for humans.
Humans aren't designed to eat large volumes of grains and processed foods. I assert from my research that these frequently cause weight and health issues. We are designed to eat primarily raw proteins, vegetables and fruits. Unfortunately, due to mass production, many important foods are processed to make them "safe", but then they lose important nutrition. Unprocessed milk (and unprocessed milk protein) is one such food. Raw protein foods like beef, eggs, fish and others are also important. Unfortunately most are not safe in mass production.
People think eating organic raw foods is expensive. Yet then they go out and pay ridiculous amounts for special diets and programs that many times perpetuate the same old nutrition. Then they get the same old results. It's not rocket science, but the transition can be difficult due to the enormous variety of processed foods that are designed to please our taste buds, but not be nutritionally viable.
by Rbeny1
IT is not your brain's fault. It is the product of rich visuals at the store and on television. Then when you buy the product touted as refreshing, such as Coke, you become thirsty again because it is full of sugar and gum arabic and yellow esther and resins, These things coat your tongue and make your mouth feel sticky whereas water and genuine fruit juice such as watermelon and grapefruit satisfies you immediately and provides salts and vitamins that you lose or you crave because of a poor diet.
The sugar rush and the feeling of sleepiness afterwards is what makes you crave donuts and rich foods like alfredo, pizza, and spaghetti, burritos. The hidden salt in the bread is dangerous and makes you tired also, so this breaded food is a never ending routine.
Try eating almonds in between meals and fresh roasted peanuts in the shell, no salt. And avoid hamburger places with a high percentage of hamburger bun. Fries will only make you thirsty so that means you crave a Coke. This is an unhealthy circular routine.
Try salmon for a filling meal, add macaroni and cheese and steam some spinach on top of the boiling water for the macaroni for a healthy side item.
by Steve Bill Steve Carlos
