Dr. Zane Andrews, a neuroendocrinologist made the finding, which is published in Nature.
Dr. Andrews discovered that free radicals attack these appetite suppressing cells in the brain after eating. Interestingly, he found the degeneration to be greater after meals that were high in carbohydrates and sugars. He says, “The more carbs and sugars you eat, the more your appetite control cells are damaged, and potentially you will consume more. People in the age group of 25 to 50 are the most at risk. The neurons that tell people in this crucial age range not to eat are being killed off.”
His research found that the damage caused to appetite-control cells results in a cellular imbalance between the message from the brain to stop eating, and our need to eat. In our hunger process, when our stomach is empty, the ghrelin hormome lets our brains know we need to eat. When we are satiated, neurons called POMCs tell us to stop eating. However, free radicals in our bodies attack these neurons and cause them to degenerate. This in turn affects our judgment about when we are satisfied.
You might think that the free radicals could also attack the hunger neurons, but they appear to be protected by a certain protein.
The researchers note that the degeneration of appetite control cells is likely one part of the complex problem of adult-onset obesity. Dr. Andrew says, “A diet rich in carbohydrate and sugar that has become more and more prevalent in modern societies over the last 20-30 years has places so much strain on our bodies that it’s leading to premature cell deterioration.”
