Life Lines

Interesting slices of life

- Lisa Guy

Understanding the “dessert stomach”

Researchers investigating the cause of the “dessert stomach” found that mice, even when full, still ate sugar due to the activation of a group of nerves called POMC neurons in the brain. These neurons release B-endorphin, a natural opiate, which triggers a reward response and encourages sugar consumption beyond fullness. This opioid pathway was only activated by sugar, not by regular or fatty foods. Blocking this pathway prevented the mice from overeating sugar but only in full animals. This mechanism was triggered before the mice tasted sugar, with B-endorphin released as soon as the sugar entered their mouths. Human brain scans revealed similar reactions to sugar, with opiate receptors near satiety neurons. From an evolutionary perspective, this may be an adaptive response to energy-dense sugar sources, which are rare in nature. These findings could have implications for obesity treatment, as drugs that block opiate receptors may help control sugar cravings, when combined with other therapies.