🍟 Why do we crave unhealthy foods?

The age-old mystery of why we crave unhealthy foods might finally have a clue

It’s down to separate pathways for fat and sugar cravings that, when combined, create an irresistible urge to overeat.

A new study that unraveled how these distinct gut-to-brain circuits amplify each other, leading to excessive food intake in mice.

Imagine cravings operating in the background, influencing your choices without your conscious awareness. These neural circuits relay information about ingested food, and when fat and sugar are combined, they trigger a surge in dopamine, the reward molecule, driving mice to overeat significantly.

🥊 Punchline

This study suggests that human brains might be wired to subconsciously seek out the potent duo of high-fat and high-sugar combinations, making even the most conscious diet efforts a struggle. Understanding these underlying mechanisms could be key to developing more effective strategies for combating unhealthy eating habits.

⚖️ Be kind to yourself. It helps with weight loss

Losing weight is extremely difficult because high-calorie, delicious food is very accessible

A new study explored whether practicing self-compassion -- or treating oneself with the same care and kindness that people typically offer to their loved ones -- helps people become more resilient to these overeating setbacks.

Gathering responses to smartphones multiple times a day from 140 participants, researchers were able to study how ‘being kinder to oneself’ could help weight loss.

Study participants that had more self-compassion reported better mood and self-control over their eating and exercise behavior.

The findings suggest that self-compassion can help people engage in healthier weight loss behavior by helping them become less demoralized by setbacks.

🥊 Punchline

Many people worry that self-compassion will cause complacency and lead them to settle for inadequacy, but this study is a great example of how self-compassion can help people be more successful in meeting their goals.

🦠 Probiotics: Secret food against high blood pressure?

Recent studies hint at a protective role of probiotics against high blood pressure.

Researchers tested two specific strains, Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, on mice that developed high blood pressure after consuming water mixed with sugar.

Remarkably, after 16 weeks of treatment, the probiotics normalised the mice's blood pressure.

But how does this work in the gut? The high-sugar diet altered the gut microbiome composition, associated with higher blood pressure.. However, probiotic treatment restored the bacterial populations to their original state.

Furthermore, the analysis revealed novel microbes linked to lower blood pressure: higher levels of Lawsonia and Pyrolobus bacteria, and lower levels of Alistipes and Alloprevotella.

🥊 Punchline

Probiotics show promise for cardiovascular health. This study, the first of its kind, highlights how incorporating probiotic foods could potentially complement traditional hypertension management.