We Are What We Eat
Author: Karen Lennox
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
Regular and long-term consumption of high-fat foods changes motivation and behavior ...
American scientists have found that regular and prolonged consumption of foods high in fat leads to a change in motivation and behavior.
Jackson Connie and colleagues at the University of Illinois conducted a scientific experiment aimed at studying the effect of fatty foods on the secretion of the hormone dopamine in the brain. In the nervous system, dopamine plays the role of a neurotransmitter - a substance through which information is transmitted from one neuron to another. It is also involved in the regulation of human behavior, including motivation and dietary preferences.
Laboratory mice were used for the experiment conducted by American researchers. The experimental animals were divided into two groups. Those in the first group were fed high-calorie and high-fat products, and the second group received the standard rodent food, in which the fat content is minimal.
Dopamine and its derivatives were found to be significantly lower in the brains of first-group mice than in other rodents.
These data confirm the results of previous experiments proving that in obese people who eat high-fat foods, dopamine levels are reduced.
Researchers emphasize that the type and quality of food we eat affects the biochemical processes in the brain. The use of large amounts of fat affects behavior, disrupting motivation and desire to work, both in rats and humans.