Why do not feel like eating when you smoke

Layfhaker and popular science publication N + 1 talk about the connection between neurons in the brain, smoking and appetite.

Not news that those who quit smoking, start eating more, and when you smoke, less hungry. Where is the main nerve center of appetite regulation, it was discoveredLocalization of a «feeding center» in the hypothalamus of the rat. in the middle of the XX century in a series of rather strict tests. Surgically in rats damaged the different areas of the brain and take a look, whether your appetite will be gone.

Damage to the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) led to the fact that the rats died of hunger, despite the fact that the food was enough. It was also known that patients with tumors of the hypothalamus constantly hungry, which led to their significant obesity.

After these basic experiments, studies of mechanisms of regulation of appetite brain spinning (and spinning) around the hypothalamus (at the level of instincts), as well as around the cerebral cortex (the situation when "the thought of food does not leave").

Nevertheless, the neurons of the hypothalamus, responsible for the regulation of hunger, have synaptic connections and an underlying areas of the brain (ie, receive signals from there). One of these areas - Broca's diagonal stripe in the front of the brain.

Researchers have traced that neurons activated Broca diagonal stripes in response to the reception of food. To show that these neurons are really necessary for the regulation of food intake, they are using genetic manipulation damaged. As a result, two weeks in the experimental mice started bulimia, and as a result, they got obesity.

Conversely, if you activate the neurons, then 48 hours later mice started eating 25 percent less food than the control group. Thus, it was found signaling pathway in the brain responsible for appetite suppression.

What does the nicotine, the reader will ask, mice do not smoked? And despite the fact that the activation of neurons in Broca strip is due to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. A nicotine - a well-known "competitors" acetylcholine. It can bind to acetylcholine receptors and activate them, thereby giving a false signal on the brain: "It's okay, I'm not hungry." The body gets used to this deception, but when the nicotine in the body becomes less, and less activated receptor. The brain interprets it this way: "Oh, your body wants to eat, to eat, to eat a lot."

Good news - the body has a great capacity for self-regulation, and after a while appetite go away due to the fact that the brain itself learns to produce more acetylcholine in the right places. Quit smoking - get up on skis!

That's not all I was capable of giving up smoking. Read as well as three months without cigarettes will make you very satisfied with life.