Do you feel hungry even after eating a large meal? It's your ancestors' fault

Sometimes it happens that a few moments after eating a large meal, we feel like eating a snack, and usually it is not necessarily healthy or high-calorie. Except for any diseases affecting appetite disorders, Our ancestors may be responsible for this. What happens in our brain when we are not hungry and our body still wants to snack? Scientists have found one possible answer.

The cause of this situation may not be simple excessive appetite. Recent research in mice has shown that a neural circuit controlled by cells responsible for seeking out tasty food may be responsible. High-calorie foods.

These neural circuits were discovered in an area of ​​the brainstem called the brainstem Periaqueductal gray matter (PAG). This is an evolutionarily ancient part of the brain that retains functions responsible for searching for food.

The PAG is usually associated with reactions such as panic and fear, but in the latest research, the team found that mimicking a specific group of cells in the PAG Foraging behavior and feeding In mice. After stimulation, the rodents entered an intense state of foraging. They pursued fresh prey such as cockroaches and were keenly interested in even non-food items.

Choosing from the available options, they tend Towards high-calorie foods. So much so that they were able to withstand a mild electric shock to get inside the male nut. It should be noted that this is not considered normal mouse behavior.

Scientists decided to check how mice behave when… Cell activity will decrease Which prompted people to search for food. Interestingly, the mice were not only interested in feeding after a meal, but also even when they were already hungry. They were not looking for food.

For now, the research results are limited to mice, but scientists believe that this knowledge can also be used in the future In relation to the human brain. The research results were published in the magazine “Nature Communications”.