What we commonly know as a “binge” on sweets or sugar-laden foods, excessively and intermittently, a way of eating that can lead to eating disorders such as bulimia, has implications with a number of chemicals. Now, a team of researchers from the Psychopharmacology, Neurotoxicology and Neuropsychology group at the University of Almería (Spain) has located one of those molecules responsible for excessive intake or bingeing on sweets .
The specific chemical is “orexin”, a neurotransmitter responsible for sending messages to the brain related to the process of nutrition. “Among its functions is to regulate basal nutrition , the one that seeks the necessary energy supply for the body, that is, the message of ‘how because I’m hungry’. Or to select food that, such as sugars, sucrose or saccharin, are pleasant to the palate and, in addition, represent a caloric supplement ”, explains the agency Sinc Inmaculada Cubero, leader of the study.
The participation of this substance explains why our body continues to want these foods even when it has already covered its energy needs . According to the researchers, “this is due to the hedonic value of sugar, that is, pure pleasure . The orexins are saying, ‘Keep eating because you like the taste.’ Continue eating causes a new increase in these molecules, which again send the message of how rich that food is, which generates a vicious cycle between the chemical substances in our body and the food. Until it’s over, we don’t stop .
To reach this conclusion, the researchers conducted an experiment with mice that were subjected to a binge eating model for four days. After this, they added an antagonist compound to orexin to prevent the normal functioning of this substance. The scientists found that the consumption of sweet foods was reduced between 70 and 80% , keeping the health of the rodents intact.
“We all have orexin but we neither synthesize it the same, nor in the same quantity nor at the same rate. These biological differences are the basis of this vulnerability and, therefore, of the possible development of addictions over time. This does not mean that everyone ends up becoming a bulimic person or with binge eating disorder, but it is true that eating in this way increases the probability of becoming so, ”says Cubero.
The study has been published in the journal Behavioral Brain Research .
