An Animal Study Shows Stress Curbs Desire To Eat

(Newswire.net — September 20, 2022) Orlando, FL — Over the years, researchers have been investigating on dangerous effects of stress on various aspects of health. It appears that it also affects one’s appetite.

A mouse study has particularly shown that stress curbs the desire to eat.  The investigators discovered a neurocircuit that increased the levels of stress when activated. At the same time, it also reduced the desire of the subjects to eat. 

The findings were published in Nature Communications. 

It was carried out by eating disorder researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

The researchers believe that the findings could help in the effort to develop treatments for a serious eating disorder called anorexia nervosa.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder.

Individuals with anorexia nervosa severely restrict food, avoid food,  or eat very small quantities of only certain foods. What’s even more alarming is that even when they are dangerously underweight, they may actually perceive themselves as overweight.

“We have identified a part of the brain in a mouse model that controls the impact of emotions on eating,” said Qingchun Tong, Ph.D.

Tong is the study’s senior author and an associate professor in the Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Disease at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth.

Since mice and humans have the same nervous systems, Tong, the Cullen Chair in Molecular Medicine at UTHealth, believes the study results could shed light on the part of the human brain that regulates hunger.

The researchers believe they are among the first to show the role of this neurocircuit in the regulation of both stress and hunger.

Stress eating is quite common today, especially since the start of the pandemic.  Health authorities have long been warning that stress, especially when it’s chronic, may result in some undesirable health consequences. 

It is vital to lessen stress levels and one of the ways to do this is to engage in physical activities regularly. Time and again experts have revealed that exercise increased blood flow to the brain. 

There are supplements like Divine Bounty L-Carnitine found to help enhance energy levels, which means it could improve exercise performance and adherence. It is also important to note that L-Carnitine has brain health benefits.

What makes the use of this formula even more beneficial is that it could also help the body shed extra pounds. 

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