There’s always room for dessert, declared a team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Germany. According to the scientists, the so-called “dessert stomach” does exist. But it’s not located in the belly; it’s in the brain.
After a festive meal, we often feel so stuffed that we can barely breathe. Then, suddenly, the magical word “cake” is uttered, and we find the strength to swallow another piece or two.
Why Does This Happen?
The researchers discovered the reason why it’s so hard for a full person to resist sweet treats. The study showed that the process in the brain that makes us feel full after eating also drives our desire for sugar.
Dr. Henning Fenselau, the lead author of the study, said, “Like many people, I find it hard to say ‘no’ when there’s an opportunity to eat a chocolate dessert. This is difficult to resist considering human evolution. Since sugar provides quick energy and is hard to find in nature, our caveman brain is programmed to seek it out whenever possible.”
During the study, Dr. Fenselau’s team initially fed mice pellets of their regular food, which contained only three percent sugar. Then, the rodents were offered the same amount of this food or sweet pellets containing 35 percent sugar.
It’s no surprise that the mice barely forced themselves to eat any of the regular food. But when dessert was offered, they didn’t hesitate and ended up consuming six times more calories overall. Their brains lit up in an area known as the paraventricular thalamus. POMC neurons released endorphins, and the pleasurable sensations spread to other brain cells.
Even just looking at the sweet pellets was linked to this brain activity in the rodents. This is similar to the human anticipation of temptation that arises when reading a dessert menu, the Daily Mail reported.
Similar processes were observed in the brains of 30 people who were treated to a sweet drink during an MRI scan.
The scientists hope that the results of this work will help develop effective obesity treatments in the future. These treatments would block that small area of the brain responsible for cravings for sweets after a hearty meal.
Thus, the team plans to further investigate brain activity in people offered dessert after their main course. According to Dr. Fenselau, “The allure of sweet foods is one of the reasons for overeating and obesity, so it’s important to better understand these processes.”
The findings from the study were published in the journal Science.