Appetite is controlled by an area of the brain called the hypothalamus. After eating, the body increases the amount of insulin and leptin hormones. They act on the hypothalamus, and it blocks appetite.

However, it is possible to regulate appetite without the participation of hormones — through taste buds. This is possible due to the brain cells, the tanycytes that line the bottom of the third ventricle in the brain. Tanycytes receive food information through taste buds on the tongue and transmit signals to the hypothalamus through their long branches.

It used to be thought that they only react to sweet tastes. But scientists have recently discovered that tanycytes are also activated by umami taste. This is the “fifth taste” that comes from the presence of amino acids in food.

In a study by the University of Warwick, scientists added concentrated amino acids to illuminated brain cells. The strongest and fastest tanycyte response was provided by two essential amino acids: lysine and arginine. In just 30 seconds, tanycytes recognized these amino acids and transmitted information to the hypothalamus.

When you eat a diet rich in arginine and lysine, umami taste receptors on the tongue’s taste buds note their presence and relay a message to the brain. There, tanycytes react to them, give signals to the hypothalamus, and appetite decreases.

The level of amino acids in the blood and in the brain after a meal are very important signals that convey a feeling of satiety. The fact that tanycytes directly sense amino acids will help develop new ways to combat excess weight.

Nicholas Dale (Nicholas Dale)

professor of neurology at the University of Warwick

This partly explains why people on high-protein diets feel less hungry and don’t overeat even without calorie restrictions.

Arginine and lysine are present in large quantities in animal products: beef, pork, chicken, turkey, liver, mackerel, tuna, salmon, cheese. Essential amino acids are also found in plant sources: lentils, wheat germ, avocados.

If you’re trying to reduce your appetite and eat fewer calories, try incorporating these foods into every meal.

Source: https://lifehacker.ru/mozg-i-sytost/

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