What do we eat and what amount of food do we want? Two questions play a pivotal role in determining whether our eating habits are right or wrong, but science can intervene and guide you to the right answer.
Researchers have found a small part of the brain that helps decide on the food a person wants and how much he wants, after tests in the early stages of mice.
The study concluded that a "neglected" part of the brain plays a key role in determining the type and amount of food, called "ventral palladium", and is located at the base of the brain.
The discovery is expected to mark the beginning of a new science era for drug development, which helps control appetite and a healthy diet, the Daily Mail reported.
Scientists have sought to see how the brain determines the type and amount of food an individual needs when he or she has several options, according to the study, published in the journal Nature Communications.
"We have discovered a region of the brain that dramatically reflects our preferences for food," said research author David Ottheimer of Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, the brain activity rate we've seen far exceeded our expectations.
When rats were tested, biting animals could eat two types of sugary fluids, one of which was sucrose (table sugar) and the other a maltodextrin (industrial). The test revealed mice preferred sucrose.
A few days later, the researchers gave one drink to the mice, while their brain activity was measured accurately at the moment they realized anything they drank.
The team was able to identify the nerves that recorded sucrose and the frustration of maltodextrin in the ventral bilium cells.
The trial was repeated with the use of maltodextrin and normal water, and the researchers found the same effect in the same cells.
"Our data indicate that we need more research on Fentral Ballydom to understand how we make our decisions about food," said Oteheimer, "If we want to know why we are surprised or frustrated with food, this part can be vital."
