Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
![]() |
|
Vegan (alt.food.vegan) This newsgroup exists to share ideas and issues of concern among vegans. We are always happy to share our recipes- perhaps especially with omnivores who are simply curious- or even better, accomodating a vegan guest for a meal! |
Reply |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
Posted to alt.philosophy,alt.food.vegan,alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian,rec.food.veg,alt.global-warming
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
Scientists have finally confirmed what the rest of us have suspected
for years: Bacon, cheesecake, and other delicious yet fattening foods may be addictive. A new study in rats suggests that high-fat, high-calorie foods affect the brain in much the same way as cocaine and heroin. When rats consume these foods in great enough quantities, it leads to compulsive eating habits that resemble drug addiction, the study found. Doing drugs such as cocaine and eating too much junk food both gradually overload the so-called pleasure centers in the brain, according to Paul J. Kenny, Ph.D., an associate professor of molecular therapeutics at the Scripps Research Institute, in Jupiter, Florida. Eventually the pleasure centers "crash," and achieving the same pleasure--or even just feeling normal--requires increasing amounts of the drug or food, says Kenny, the lead author of the study. "People know intuitively that there's more to [overeating] than just willpower," he says. "There's a system in the brain that's been turned on or over-activated, and that's driving [overeating] at some subconscious level." In the study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, Kenny and his co-author studied three groups of lab rats for 40 days. One of the groups was fed regular rat food. A second was fed bacon, sausage, cheesecake, frosting, and other fattening, high-calorie foods--but only for one hour each day. The third group was allowed to pig out on the unhealthy foods for up to 23 hours a day. Not surprisingly, the rats that gorged themselves on the human food quickly became obese. But their brains also changed. By monitoring implanted brain electrodes, the researchers found that the rats in the third group gradually developed a tolerance to the pleasure the food gave them and had to eat more to experience a high. They began to eat compulsively, to the point where they continued to do so in the face of pain. When the researchers applied an electric shock to the rats' feet in the presence of the food, the rats in the first two groups were frightened away from eating. But the obese rats were not. "Their attention was solely focused on consuming food," says Kenny. In previous studies, rats have exhibited similar brain changes when given unlimited access to cocaine or heroin. And rats have similarly ignored punishment to continue consuming cocaine, the researchers note. The fact that junk food could provoke this response isn't entirely surprising, says Dr.Gene-Jack Wang, M.D., the chair of the medical department at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, in Upton, New York. "We make our food very similar to cocaine now," he says. Coca leaves have been used since ancient times, he points out, but people learned to purify or alter cocaine to deliver it more efficiently to their brains (by injecting or smoking it, for instance). This made the drug more addictive. According to Wang, food has evolved in a similar way. "We purify our food," he says. "Our ancestors ate whole grains, but we're eating white bread. American Indians ate corn; we eat corn syrup." The ingredients in purified modern food cause people to "eat unconsciously and unnecessarily," and will also prompt an animal to "eat like a drug abuser [uses drugs]," says Wang. The neurotransmitter dopamine appears to be responsible for the behavior of the overeating rats, according to the study. Dopamine is involved in the brain's pleasure (or reward) centers, and it also plays a role in reinforcing behavior. "It tells the brain something has happened and you should learn from what just happened," says Kenny. Overeating caused the levels of a certain dopamine receptor in the brains of the obese rats to drop, the study found. In humans, low levels of the same receptors have been associated with drug addiction and obesity, and may be genetic, Kenny says. However, that doesn't mean that everyone born with lower dopamine receptor levels is destined to become an addict or to overeat. As Wang points out, environmental factors, and not just genes, are involved in both behaviors. Wang also cautions that applying the results of animal studies to humans can be tricky. For instance, he says, in studies of weight-loss drugs, rats have lost as much as 30 percent of their weight, but humans on the same drug have lost less than 5 percent of their weight. "You can't mimic completely human behavior, but [animal studies] can give you a clue about what can happen in humans," Wang says. Although he acknowledges that his research may not directly translate to humans, Kenny says the findings shed light on the brain mechanisms that drive overeating and could even lead to new treatments for obesity. "If we could develop therapeutics for drug addiction, those same drugs may be good for obesity as well," he says. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/28...ex.html?hpt=C1 |
Posted to alt.philosophy,alt.food.vegan,alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian,rec.food.veg,alt.global-warming
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
On Mar 29, 7:56*am, Immortalist > wrote:
> Scientists have finally confirmed what the rest of us have suspected > for years: Bacon, cheesecake, and other delicious yet fattening foods > may be addictive. Placing their mind ahead of that which feeds it, typical Kantian behaviour. MG |
Posted to alt.food.vegan
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
On Mar 29, 2:59*pm, Sidney Lambe > wrote:
> ["Followup-To:" header set to alt.food.vegan.] > On alt.food.vegan, Immortalist > wrote: > > > Scientists have finally confirmed what the rest of us have suspected > > for years: Bacon, cheesecake, and other delicious yet fattening foods > > may be addictive. > > "Suspected"? It's obvious as hell. Who needs some geeks with > purchased physical science degrees to confirm it? And I suppose ewe blame cigarette and alcohol companies for making ewe choose to purchase a packet of smokes and a bottle of whisky? ****ing idiot. MG |
Posted to alt.philosophy,alt.food.vegan,alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian,rec.food.veg,alt.global-warming
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
"Immortalist" > wrote in message
... > Although he acknowledges that his research may not directly translate > to humans, Kenny says the findings shed light on the brain mechanisms > that drive overeating and could even lead to new treatments for > obesity. > > "If we could develop therapeutics for drug addiction, those same drugs > may be good for obesity as well," he says. If these changes in brain chemistry occur, are they reversible? Would changes in diet allow the brain to "recover" to its original abilities without the use of drugs? > > http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/28...ex.html?hpt=C1 |
Posted to alt.philosophy,alt.food.vegan,alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian,rec.food.veg,alt.global-warming
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
On Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:56:28 -0700, Immortalist wrote:
> Scientists have finally confirmed what the rest of us have suspected for > years: Bacon, cheesecake, and other delicious yet fattening foods may be > addictive. I suspect this is not exactly correct. There is bacon and there is an item sold in stores and fast food joints called bacon. Once any additive, let say any form of refined sugar, is introduced for whatever reason it is no longer 'just bacon'. Also how animals are fed is part of of this. This might account for the rat behavior. If these rats had been feed meat organically raised, fed on organic feeds I would wager a difference in behavior, in rats and humans, would become apparent. Also, and this is as real as the object called "bacon" and pertains to humans alone, how bacon is represented should be considered a product additive. Close ups of gleaming grease dripping from well lite rotating bacon burgers with vivid green and red therefore healthy lettuce and tomato suggesting healthy bacon burgers all underscored with hoppy music is a physical ingredient and a physical additive. 101 in all culinary arts from ancient times to now is the deep importance of presentation. This is not a trivial matter or some fluff idea. A brain scientist can easily account for physical triggers set off via sensory stimulation enabled by mass media. Some of these guys even work or consult for Ad agencies and PR firms who have The Greasy Corporate Internationals as clients. Their goal - by-pass reason. Instead what we have here is again targeting what are essentially the victims, the end users as if they (really more like 'we') should know better. Well we do, otherwise there would be no need for physically addictive sugar type additives or PR firms. |
Posted to alt.philosophy,alt.food.vegan,alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian,rec.food.veg,alt.global-warming
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
On Mar 28, 5:56*pm, Immortalist > wrote:
> Scientists have finally confirmed what the rest of us have suspected > for years: Bacon, cheesecake, and other delicious yet fattening foods > may be addictive. > > A new study in rats suggests that high-fat, high-calorie foods affect > the brain in much the same way as cocaine and heroin. When rats > consume these foods in great enough quantities, it leads to compulsive > eating habits that resemble drug addiction, the study found. > > Doing drugs such as cocaine and eating too much junk food both > gradually overload the so-called pleasure centers in the brain, > according to Paul J. Kenny, Ph.D., an associate professor of molecular > therapeutics at the Scripps Research Institute, in Jupiter, Florida. > Eventually the pleasure centers "crash," and achieving the same > pleasure--or even just feeling normal--requires increasing amounts of > the drug or food, says Kenny, the lead author of the study. > > "People know intuitively that there's more to [overeating] than just > willpower," he says. "There's a system in the brain that's been turned > on or over-activated, and that's driving [overeating] at some > subconscious level." > > In the study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, Kenny and > his co-author studied three groups of lab rats for 40 days. One of the > groups was fed regular rat food. A second was fed bacon, sausage, > cheesecake, frosting, and other fattening, high-calorie foods--but > only for one hour each day. The third group was allowed to pig out on > the unhealthy foods for up to 23 hours a day. > > Not surprisingly, the rats that gorged themselves on the human food > quickly became obese. But their brains also changed. By monitoring > implanted brain electrodes, the researchers found that the rats in the > third group gradually developed a tolerance to the pleasure the food > gave them and had to eat more to experience a high. > > They began to eat compulsively, to the point where they continued to > do so in the face of pain. When the researchers applied an electric > shock to the rats' feet in the presence of the food, the rats in the > first two groups were frightened away from eating. But the obese rats > were not. "Their attention was solely focused on consuming food," says > Kenny. > > In previous studies, rats have exhibited similar brain changes when > given unlimited access to > cocaine or heroin. And rats have similarly ignored punishment to > continue consuming cocaine, the researchers note. > > The fact that junk food could provoke this response isn't entirely > surprising, says Dr.Gene-Jack Wang, M.D., the chair of the medical > department at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National > Laboratory, in Upton, New York. > > "We make our food very similar to cocaine now," he says. > > Coca leaves have been used since ancient times, he points out, but > people learned to purify or alter cocaine to deliver it more > efficiently to their brains (by injecting or smoking it, for > instance). This made the drug more addictive. > > According to Wang, food has evolved in a similar way. "We purify our > food," he says. "Our ancestors ate whole grains, but we're eating > white bread. American Indians ate corn; we eat corn syrup." > > The ingredients in purified modern food cause people to "eat > unconsciously and unnecessarily," and will also prompt an animal to > "eat like a drug abuser [uses drugs]," says Wang. > > The neurotransmitter dopamine appears to be responsible for the > behavior of the overeating rats, according to the study. Dopamine is > involved in the brain's pleasure (or reward) centers, and it also > plays a role in reinforcing behavior. "It tells the brain something > has happened and you should learn from what just happened," says > Kenny. > > Overeating caused the levels of a certain dopamine receptor in the > brains of the obese rats to drop, the study found. In humans, low > levels of the same receptors have been associated with drug addiction > and obesity, and may be genetic, Kenny says. > > However, that doesn't mean that everyone born with lower dopamine > receptor levels is destined to become an addict or to overeat. As Wang > points out, environmental factors, and not just genes, are involved in > both behaviors. > > Wang also cautions that applying the results of animal studies to > humans can be tricky. For instance, he says, in studies of weight-loss > drugs, rats have lost as much as 30 percent of their weight, but > humans on the same drug have lost less than 5 percent of their weight. > "You can't mimic completely human behavior, but [animal studies] can > give you a clue about what can happen in humans," Wang says. > > Although he acknowledges that his research may not directly translate > to humans, Kenny says the findings shed light on the brain mechanisms > that drive overeating and could even lead to new treatments for > obesity. > > "If we could develop therapeutics for drug addiction, those same drugs > may be good for obesity as well," he says. > > http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/28...ex.html?hpt=C1 google "high fructose corn syrup" |
Posted to alt.philosophy,alt.food.vegan,alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian,rec.food.veg
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
["Followup-To:" header set to alt.food.vegan.]
On alt.food.vegan, tunderbar > wrote: > On Mar 28, 5:56=A0pm, Immortalist > wrote: >> Scientists have finally confirmed what the rest of us have suspected >> for years: Bacon, cheesecake, and other delicious yet fattening foods >> may be addictive. >> [delete] >> "If we could develop therapeutics for drug addiction, those >> same drugs may be good for obesity as well," he says. Look around at the real world and quit taking scientists in the pockets of major corporations so seriously. It is obvious as hell that this commercially-motivated search for drugs that will cure conditions that that are obviously caused by psychological factors (even if they have a physical component _after_ the fact) isn't working. Theses same corrupt scientists tell us that depression is a purely physical condition. But their drugs don't cure depression, they just turn people into zombies. And there are a lot of serious side effects. Drugs that will cure addiction? What a _joke_! [delete] What does this have to do with vegetarianism/veganism? Sid |
Posted to alt.philosophy,alt.food.vegan,alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian,alt.global-warming
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
On Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:56:28 -0700 (PDT), Immortalist
> wrote: >Scientists have finally confirmed what the rest of us have suspected >for years: Bacon, cheesecake, and other delicious yet fattening foods >may be addictive. The objective to eliminate domestic animals is apparently addictive too, at least when cloaked in the gross mi$nomer "animal rights". In fact it's fine and good to refer to elimination advocates and activists as misnomer addicts. |
Posted to alt.philosophy,alt.food.vegan,alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian,alt.global-warming
|
|||
|
|||
![]() <dh@.> wrote in message ... > On Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:56:28 -0700 (PDT), Immortalist > > wrote: > >>Scientists have finally confirmed what the rest of us have suspected >>for years: Bacon, cheesecake, and other delicious yet fattening foods >>may be addictive. > > The objective to eliminate domestic animals is apparently > addictive too, at least when cloaked in the gross mi$nomer > "animal rights". In fact it's fine and good to refer to > elimination advocates and activists as misnomer addicts. Calling that thing between your ears a brain is the misnomer. |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
![]() |
||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Food and Drug Administration Takes on Food Poisoning With Sweeping Reforms | General Cooking | |||
PCP (not the drug!) | General Cooking | |||
Cherrios Is A Drug !!! | General Cooking | |||
Caffeine is a gateway drug | Tea | |||
More on the Drug Bill | Diabetic |