Desire for sugar eliminated in mice by rewiring brains
by Nicola Davis from Science | The Guardian on (#3R9PB)
Researchers identified two specific regions in the brain which respond to sweet and bitter tastes - and altered those responses
From whispering sweet nothings to hoping for sweet dreams, sugariness and pleasure have long been bound together. Now scientists studying the brains of mice have revealed why, unpicking the pathways in the brain which result in sweet foods being perceived as nice and bitter foods as nasty.
What's more, they have managed to tinker with these routes so that mice get a kick out of a tasteless substance such as water, and have even managed to switch off such judgments completely. Researchers say the finding may help with the search for treatments for eating disorders.