Scientists have discovered the discovery of the brain's "energy saving mode"

Neuroscientists have found that with prolonged fasting, the body begins to “save” before our eyes. The clarity of the picture drops, and the brain sees the world as if in a lower resolution. About this with reference to a recent article Quanta Magazine writes Wired.

The experiments were carried out on mice. When rodents were fed less than usual for several weeks, and they lost 15-20% of their weight, the brain processed information differently.

During starvation, mouse neurons rebuilt and began to consume 29% less ATP, the universal energy source for all biochemical processes. This allowed the animals to maintain the body in a calorie deficit. But the mice were worse at tasks where vision was needed. They missed small details.

The researchers explain: the photons hit the retina in exactly the same way as usual. But with a lack of energy, the body concentrates on the main goal - to find food and protect yourself from dangers.

Thanks to new data, scientists have figured out how animals survive in the winter, when food becomes scarce. Researchers suggest that similar processes can occur in the human brain. And not only vision, but also other senses can be temporarily dulled.

Also, the new discovery will allow us to understand more about how the human body changes with weight loss. For example, earlier neuroscientists figured outHunger-Dependent Enhancement of Food Cue Responses in Mouse Postrhinal Cortex and Lateral Amygdalathat hunger stimulates brain activity - so that a person goes faster in search of food.