Scientists have identified a mechanism in the brain that may contribute to the fact that after opening a box of chocolates, we cannot stop at eating just one, reports Current Biology.
When rats were given a stimulant in their brains, the striatum (part of the forebrain), the rodents began to eat more than twice as many chocolate shakes as when they were not on the drug.
They also observed that when rats started eating the treats, levels of the neurotransmitter enkephalin rose in their brains. It is an opioid peptide that causes, inter alia, pain relief (affects the same receptors as morphine).
Enkephalin levels remained constant while eating and then dropped as the rodents finished their feast.
This means that there is a bigger system in the brain than previously thought that makes us want to consume excessive amounts of reward. This may be one of the causes of the problem of overconsumption we see today, says Dr. Alexandra DiFeliceantonio of the University of Michigan, adding that the research points to a previously unknown role of the striatum, previously associated with the function of controlling movement.
It seems likely that enkephalin may cause some forms of overconsumption and addiction in humans, the researcher notes.
With this in mind, the researchers intend to check what is happening in our brains when we experience a sudden and strong urge to stop walking by a favorite restaurant or pastry shop (PAP).
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