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 Research shows your hankering for sweets may start in the stomach
The chocolate is in the candy jar, where it always is. Yesterday you walked right by. Today, it calls your name.
You want to fill your mouth with that oh-so-sweet chocolate; you almost need it. Why?
Researchers are still trying to figure out exactly why we crave the things we do. However, some speculate that cravings develop after eating carbohydrates, fat and sugar combined with a favorable flavor and texture. Together, they create a “high” that our brains want to replicate, so our desire is to consume that specific food again to give us the same experience.
Ghrelin is a hormone produced by the stomach and has been linked to growth hormone release, learning, memory, and appetite. Researchers at Yale School of Medicine reported another link—to induce food intake. It operates through a region in the brain that controls your cravings for food and other energy sources.
“We found that if we selectively block ghrelin in this part of the brain, we can suppress feeding or the need to seek out food and energy,” said Tamas Horvath, lead author of research.
This research implies that someday there may be a way to suppress or replace cravings—food, drugs, alcohol and others. Until then, fill that candy jar with nuts or fruit. Just because we cannot control our cravings doesn’t mean we can’t control that which we crave.
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