Anticipation of development of weight loss treatment that complements cold exposure therapy
Enter 2023.08.18 13:00 Hits 336 Enter 2023.08.18 13:00 Edit 2023.08.18 11:08 Hits 336
A neuron cluster that acts as a ‘switch’ in the behavior of searching for food when it is cold was identified. [사진= 게티이미지뱅크]No one has an appetite in the hot summer. This lost appetite returns as the cold wind begins to blow. Appetite moves in the opposite direction to temperature, increasing as the weather gets colder.
This is because mammals are built to automatically expend more energy to maintain a normal body temperature when exposed to cold. The increase in energy expenditure activated by the cold causes an increase in appetite.
Neuroscientists at The Scripps Research Institute, an American medical research institute, said in a study published in Nature that they identified a cluster of neurons that act as a ‘switch’ in cold food-seeking behavior. They found a brain circuit that makes you want to eat more when exposed to cold temperatures.
Through an experiment with rats, the research team confirmed that food-seeking behavior increased only six hours after the temperature began to drop. This meant that cold was not a direct cause of behavioral changes.
The researchers used a technique called whole-brain clearing and light-sheet microscopy to compare neuron activity throughout the brain in cold and warm environments. In the cold environment, activity of most neurons throughout the brain was much lower.
In addition, they found that the activity of a specific neuron called the nucleus accumbens surged just before the mice woke up from hibernation and looked for food. In the onset of cold, when food was scarce, the activity of the nucleus accumbens increased even more significantly. This meant that these cells responded to the lack of energy caused by the cold rather than the cold itself.
When the researchers artificially activated these neurons, only their foraging activity increased, but no other activity. Conversely, inhibiting the activity of these neurons reduced foraging activity. These effects only appeared in cold conditions. Cold temperatures are also essential for appetite changes.
“This finding could lead to potential treatments for metabolic health and weight loss,” said the researchers. presented,” he said.
Cold exposure therapy focuses on the fact that energy burning to maintain body temperature increases when it is cold, and is a way to lose weight by taking a cold water bath. However, cold exposure therapy has its drawbacks. The cold increases appetite, which offsets the weight loss effect.
2023-08-19 15:07:02
#reason #appetite #stronger #winter #summer
