Avere voglia di cioccolato quando si è sotto stress non è solo una questione di pulsioni incontrollabili. Ricercatori dell’Istituto nazionale di scienze fisiologiche della prefettura di Aichi, in Giappone, hanno infatti scoperto che il bisogno di mangiare cibi zuccherati in certe situazioni è dettato dai neuroni.
Gli scienziati hanno osservato che, attivando nei topi i neuroni che reagiscono allo stress, questi roditori mangiavano dosi di glucidi triple rispetto alla norma, dimezzando al contempo l’apporto di materie grasse.
La scoperta potrebbe ora far avanzare la ricerca per aiutare le persone in sovrappeso, anche se per le applicazioni concrete ci vorrà ancora molto tempo. Una semplice soppressione di questi neuroni potrebbe avere infatti effetti secondari indesiderati. L’ideale sarebbe, come hanno sottolineato gli studiosi, trovare una molecola precisa da prendere di mira per poter controllare il consumo di zuccheri e lipidi.
afp/mrj
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