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hubie [soylentnews.org] writes:

Even worms get the munchies [uoregon.edu]:

If you give a worm some weed, he might just need a snack. Worms exposed to a cannabinoid became even more interested in the kind of food they already prefer, new University of Oregon research shows. The effect is analogous to a cannabis user's craving potato chips and ice cream after a few puffs — a phenomenon scientists call "hedonic feeding," but known more colloquially as "the munchies."

[...] The endocannabinoid system is a far-reaching signaling network that helps regulate key body systems like appetite, mood, and pain sensation. Molecules called endocannabinoids send chemical messages by interacting with cannabinoid receptors, special proteins that are sprinkled throughout the body and brain. Normally, these messages help keep different body systems in balance. But certain compounds in cannabis, like THC, also interact with cannabinoid receptors, making users feel "high" after partaking and causing other effects, too.

[...] To see how cannabis-like substances might affect the worms' food preferences, Lockery's team soaked the worms in anandamide. Anandamide is an endocannabinoid, a molecule made by the body that activates the body's cannabinoid receptors.

Then, they put the worms into a T-shaped maze. On one side was high-quality food; on the other side, lower-quality food. Even under normal conditions, the worms prefer the high-quality food. But when soaked in anandamide, that preference became even stronger — they flocked to the high-quality food and stayed longer than usual.

"We suggest that this increase in existing preference is analogous to eating more of the foods you would crave anyway," Lockery said. "It's like choosing pizza versus oatmeal."

To humans, "high-quality" food might call to mind a nutritious spread of fruits, veggies, and whole grains. But the high-quality worm food is more like human junk food, in that it packs in a lot of calories quickly.

"The endocannabinoid system helps make sure that an animal that's starving goes for high fat and sugar content food," Lockery said. It's one reason why, after consuming cannabis, users are more likely to reach for chocolate pudding than a salad.

[...] The results drive home just how old the endocannabinoid system is, evolutionarily speaking. Worms and humans last shared a common ancestor more than 600 million years ago, yet cannabinoids affect our food preferences in a similar way. "It's a really beautiful example of what the endocannabinoid system was probably for at the beginning," Lockery said.

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