A Chemical Mediator In The Brain Associated With Obesity
Author: Marko Balašević
Time for reading: ~0
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
According to a US study, dopamine, a substance responsible for pleasure, satisfaction, motivation, and physical activity, has been linked to obesity.
According to a US study, dopamine, a substance responsible for pleasure, satisfaction, motivation, and physical activity, has been linked to obesity.
Researchers from New York have found that in the brains of obese rats, due to genetic predisposition, there is a lower level of receptors for this substance. In addition, an increase in their number was found in food restriction. These results support other studies of brain function and morphology, indicating that obese patients have lower D2 receptors than normal-weight people.
The study's lead author, Peter Thanos, said it was not yet clear whether the reduction in receptors was a result or a cause of obesity. Chronic overeating can lead to their reduction and subsequently to overweight. If the level of receptors is low due to a genetic basis for this, there may also be a problem with body weight, as the body finds a way to compensate for the low stimulation of dopamine through diet.
Thanos explains that in both cases, limiting caloric intake raises the level of receptors, and this proves to be an effective way to fight obesity.
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