Fascinating stuff.
Scientists at the University of Michigan found a "pleasure spot" in the brains of rats that may shed light on how food translates into pleasure for humans.
Essentially, this particular pleasure spot in rats’ brains makes sweet tastes more "liked" than other tastes, biopsychology researchers Susana Pecina and Kent Berridge reported in the Dec. 14 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
The Michigan researchers particularly pinpointed a place within a larger part of the brain responsible for appetite in the nucleus accumbens, the lower front of the brain.
Sounds like they’re onto something. I’ve already heard quite a bit about the role of the nucleus accumbens while working on my upcoming book SUGAR SHOCK!
What’s very hearteneing, Berridge points out, is that their study could ultimately have applications for treating eating disorders.
Special thanks to MSNBC and CalorieLab.com for alerting me to this study.