All tag results for 'rats'

A new study found that chocolate is basically the same as a highly addicting drug!

Eating chocolate activates the same neurotransmitters in the brain that drive drug addiction or binge eating.

The study was conducted on rats who would eat M&Ms. It was found that

Tags: addiction, brain, chocolate, drugs, eating, health, obese, rats, science, test

If you can't seem to stop eating potato chips, don't feel bad — it's only natural!

Scientists have recently discovered why we just can't get enough of the snack that has been proven to add over a pound a every four years to those indulging in one serving a day.

It turns out our bodies are naturally addicted to potato chips and other junk food because of marijuana-like chemicals in the body, called endocannabinoids, that are triggered by the ingestion of fat.

Researchers at the University of California found that when rats tasted something fatty, cells in their upper gut started producing endocannabinoids which initiated a surge in cell signalling that prompted the wanton intake of fatty foods.

From an evolutionary standpoint, scientists see this bodily phenomena as a way of compelling animals to consume crucial fats necessary for proper cell functioning, which are often scarce in nature.

However, we all know that fat is entirely too easy to come by in our unnatural society, so this research is pointing toward possibly using drugs to block receptors to obstruct endocannabinoid activity and curb our desire for fatty food!

It sounds like scientists may FINALLY be close to developing a diet pill that actually works!

[Image via AP Images.]

Tags: chips, diet pill, fatty food, junk food, marijuana, rats, researchers, snack food, studies, tests, university of california