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Most people enjoy a sweet treat every now and then. But an unchecked “sweet tooth” can lead to overconsumption of sugary foods and chronic health issues like obesity and type 2 diabetes. Understanding the biological mechanisms that control sugar intake and preference for sweet taste could have important implications for managing and preventing these health problems.
The new study, led by Matthew Potthoff, PhD, associate professor of neuroscience and pharmacology in the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, and Matthew Gillum, PhD, at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, focuses on actions of a hormone called fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). This hormone is known to play a role in energy balance, body weight control, and insulin sensitivity.
[...] Potthoff and his colleagues previously discovered that FGF21 is made in the liver in response to increased levels of sugar, and acts in the brain to suppress sugar intake and the preference for sweet taste.
[...] Although it was known that FGF21 acted in the brain, identifying the exact cellular targets was complicated by the fact that the hormone’s receptor is expressed at very low levels and is therefore difficult to “see.” Using various techniques, the researchers were able to precisely identify which cells express the receptor for FGF21. By investigating these cells, the study shows that FGF21 targets glutamatergic neurons in the brain to lower sugar intake and sweet taste preference. The researchers also showed that FGF21’s action on specific neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus reduce sugar intake by enhancing the neurons’ sensitivity to glucose.
Journal Reference:
FGF21 Signals to Glutamatergic Neurons in the Ventromedial Hypothalamus to Suppress Carbohydrate Intake, Cell Metabolism (DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2020.06.008)
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 12 2020, @11:04PM (10 children)
Obesity, diabete, tooth rotting, mood swing, energy crash...
But then, if you were raised from the birth with sugar fix, it's like a slow-motion version of childhood cocaine addiction.
Thank you, USDA, corn lobby.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 12 2020, @11:12PM (2 children)
Remove sugar and BIPOCs will continue to stuff fried chicken, fried dough and enchiladas into their diverse craws.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday July 13 2020, @12:02AM (1 child)
Cause sure as shit there aren't any fat white folks in the US. Jesus fuck, this doesn't even rise to the level of troll.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 13 2020, @12:21AM
HA! It was good enough to fish you in!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 12 2020, @11:14PM (6 children)
Actually, the fat asses of America (that's right, I"m talking you, fat ass) should sue the Fed.
That's right, it's not your fault, fat ass, it's the Fed, conagra, Iowa corn farmers, Nebraska corn farmers, Indiana corn farmers ...
Probably Mexicans, too, because they originally brought corn into America. The suspicion you had that Mexicans are out for revenge, to ruin America? Hm...
Ok, don't blame the Kentucky rednecks. At least they have the decency to turn corn into whiskey before schlapping it to you.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Opportunist on Sunday July 12 2020, @11:42PM (3 children)
Is that some sort of 12-stepper bullshit? Oh, you're not to blame, you're powerless, you have to cling to some higher power (god, government, all is good) to fix it for you...
Fuck it, take over responsibility for your life!
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 12 2020, @11:52PM (1 child)
"Fuck it, take over responsibility for your life!"
That's exactly what I am saying. Sue the bastards.
(Score: 2) by Opportunist on Monday July 13 2020, @01:18PM
That's the exact opposite of it, that's blaming someone else for you having no control over your own life and having the audacity to pretend it's someone else's fault.
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 12 2020, @11:58PM
Culture of victimhood... get used to it, it's the New American Way, inculcated by SJW schoolteachers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 13 2020, @12:20AM (1 child)
Brought? The mind boggles. Are there actually Americans this ignorant? (OK, rhetorical question.)
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 13 2020, @12:35AM
》 Brought? The mind boggles.
OK, smuggled. I stand corrected.