A team of French scientists has identified the set of molecular signals that connect the intestine and the brain and generate the feeling of satiety that makes us stop eating, and they have found that protein foods are a key part of the mechanism. The results of this research are published in the journal Cell .
During digestion, food is transformed into simpler substances to be absorbed and the process of gluconeogenesis occurs, that is, the formation of glucose, "the gasoline" of cells. ? This is captured by glucose receptors in the portal vein, near the intestine, which send a signal to the brain that makes the feeling of hunger disappear ?, explain the authors of this work, echoed by the SINC agency. After a meal rich in protein, the molecules derived from its digestion are released into the bloodstream and inhibit the mu opioid receptors that are on the walls of the portal vein.
This is how satiety is generated after a protein diet, rich in red and white meat, fish, eggs and some vegetables . "Until now, it was unknown that the mu opioid receptors (MORs) of the nervous system of the intestine and the portal vein were those who regulated the sensation of hunger", says Gilles Mithieux, researcher at the University of Lyon and co-author of the work. The researchers hope their work will serve to improve obesity treatment in the not too distant future .
