The cause of eating high-calorie junk food at midnight may be `` sleep deprivation ''

by Rit

If you work late at night, you will be hungry, and there will be many people who eat midnight snacks and snacks. Researchers at Northwestern University have announced a study result that suggests that people lacking sleep are “ sensitive to the smell of food and can easily reach high-calorie foods ”.

Olfactory connectivity mediates sleep-dependent food choices in humans | eLife
https://elifesciences.org/articles/49053

Why we crave junk food after a sleepless night: Blame your nose, which sniffs out high fat, calorie-dense food-ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191008165821.htm

Studies conducted so far have suggested that certain endogenous cannabinoids increase when a person is sleep deprived . Endogenous cannabinoids are substances that regulate various neurotransmissions in the central nervous system, and have a great influence on memory, cognition, motor control, analgesia, appetite regulation, and control of the reward system.

The survey was conducted by dividing 29 men and women between the ages of 18 and 40 into two groups. One group took 7-9 hours of sleep for the first 4 weeks, and then reduced it to 4 hours. The other group took 4 hours of sleep for the first 4 weeks and then increased their sleep time from 7 to 9 hours. Both groups said that a predetermined menu was provided for 3 meals every day, and catering for snacks was also prepared.

by smengelsrud

As a result, both groups tended to eat high-calorie junk foods such as donuts, chocolate chip cookies, and potato chips when sleep was insufficient.

The team measured the blood levels of two endogenous cannabinoids, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and 2 - oleoylglycerol (2-OG), in subjects. Then, it turned out that the blood level of 2-OG was rising at night when sleep was insufficient. This increase in blood levels of 2-OG seems to be related to a phenomenon that increases the tendency to eat junk food.

Furthermore, when the research team scanned the subject with fMRI and observed the `` piriform cortex '' involved in the input of olfactory information in the brain, when the subject was sleep deprived, `` when smelling the smell of food '' and `` food It was found that the activity of the piriform cortex is different when you smell the scent of something that is not.

by DanaTentis

Tosten Kant, a behavioral neuroscientist at Northwestern University, said, “When you have a lack of sleep, the piriform cortex will lose communication connectivity with other brain areas and eat high-calorie foods. 'This study suggests that lack of sleep makes the brain more susceptible to the irritating smell of food. If you take the plane early in the morning the next day, It may be worth taking a detour route to avoid the donut store in the country. '

Source gigazine.net