Lack of REM sleep results in unhealthy eating habits, says study
Posted on: 15/Dec/2016 5:03:26 PM
A new study published in the journal eLife has said that rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep loss may lead to increased consumption of unhealthy foods, specifically sugar and fat. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Tsukuba in Japan.
Say the researchers, It is not well understood what role sleep loss plays in affecting areas of the brain that control the desire to consume unhealthy foods. We used a new method to produce REM sleep loss in mice along with a chemical-genetic technique to block prefrontal cortex neurons and the behaviours they mediate. The prefrontal cortex plays a role in judging the palatability of foods through taste, smell and texture.
Moreover, persons who are obese tend to have increased activity in the prefrontal cortex when exposed to high calorie foods. Our results suggest that the medial prefrontal cortex may play a direct role in controlling our desire to consume weight promoting foods, high in sucrose content, when we are lacking sleep.
