So... what do rats and humans have in common? Well this study done at UCLA and published in a prominent scientific journal show that rats ditch balanced diet to eat just like obese people! The study carried out at UCLAs Brain Research Institute looked at the relationship between a junk food diet and cognitive impairments that can result from it. When the rats were presented with buffets of highly processed foods like sugar and flour, the rats would ignore normal cues to stop eating when full! Sound familiar? If youre thinking yeah but how does this research translate to humans, I mean, I AM NOT A RAT! Then consider: Rats are very useful for studying human eating behavior. Both rats and humans are omnivores, and both use flavor conditioning — learning through taste and experience which foods are good to eat and which to avoid. So if a particular flavor is associated with a desirable outcome like feeling full, this makes it more palatable, whereas a stomach illness would make it unpalatable. Rats also share with humans many of the neurobiological and hormonal mechanisms of flavor learning and appetite regulation. Almost everything we’ve learned about the neuroscience and psychology of feeding in rats has increased our understanding of these same processes in humans. So.... basically, if you absolutely have to cheat and eat junk food, know that its going to take more of the stuff to make you feel satisfied, and youre going to be very likely to over-eat! Ultimately, the article recommends to stick to home-made, whole foods to maintain a normal, well-functioning physiology that can optimally regulate your weight, metabolism, appetite, and energy balance. You may find that there are a lot of real foods out there – like naturally-raised meats, sustainably-harvested seafood, organic vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds – that are even more enjoyable and satisfying than industrially-engineered frankenfoods that line the inner shelves of the grocery stores, overflow on the buffet tables, and fill the vending machines of today’s modern world. Sound familiar? Dont believe us? Check out the summary of the research here: healthcanal/metabolic-problems/obesity/55065-ucla-faculty-voice-rats-ditch-balanced-diet-to-eat-just-like-obese-people.html Or, if youre feeling uber nerdy, you can look up the publication here: science20/the_conversation/junk_food_rats_ditch_balanced_diet_to_eat_just_like_obese_people-143722
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:00:00 +0000
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