QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Levine, A. S. Articles by Gosnell, B. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Levine, A. S. Articles by Gosnell, B. A.

---

Symposium: Sugar and Fat-From Genes to Culture

Sugars and Fats: The Neurobiology of Preference¹

Allen S. Levine^*,**,,2, Catherine M. Kotz^*,**, and Blake A. Gosnell^,||

^* Minnesota Obesity Center, Minneapolis VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55417, Geriatric, Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55417, ^** Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND 58107; and ^|| Department of Neuroscience, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo, ND 58202

²To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ALLENL{at}umn.edu.

The appetite for specific foods and nutrients may be under neuroregulatory control. In animal studies, fat intake is increased by both opioids and galanin and reduced by enterostatin, whereas carbohydrate intake is increased by neuropeptide Y (NPY). However, what may be affected is the consumption of preferred foods rather than macronutrients. Fat and sugars are highly preferred whether consumed separately or as mixtures in foods. Studies suggest that sustained consumption of sugars and fats may have additional metabolic consequences; among these are neurochemical changes in brain sites involved in feeding and reward, some of which are also affected by drugs of abuse. Furthermore, the consumption of fats and sugars alters tissue expression of uncoupling proteins, which are also influenced by neuroregulatory peptides and may be markers of energy expenditure. These data suggest that these palatable nutrients may influence energy expenditure through changes in central neuropeptide activity. Fats and sugars could affect central reward systems, thereby increasing food intake, and might have an additional effect on energy expenditure. Such palatable substances may contribute to the observed increase in the body weight of populations from affluent societies during the past few decades.

KEY WORDS: • sucrose • sugar • fat • opiods • neuropeptides • dopamine • energy expenditure

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. M. Naleid, M. K. Grace, M. Chimukangara, C. J. Billington, and A. S. Levine Paraventricular opioids alter intake of high-fat but not high-sucrose diet depending on diet preference in a binge model of feeding Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, July 1, 2007; 293(1): R99 - R105. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Drewnowski The Real Contribution of Added Sugars and Fats to Obesity Epidemiol. Rev., June 24, 2007; (2007) mxm011v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Q. Wu, Y. Zhang, J. Xu, and P. Shen Regulation of hunger-driven behaviors by neural ribosomal S6 kinase in Drosophila PNAS, September 13, 2005; 102(37): 13289 - 13294. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Drewnowski and N. Darmon The economics of obesity: dietary energy density and energy cost Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, July 1, 2005; 82(1): 265S - 273S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Drewnowski, N. Darmon, and A. Briend Replacing Fats and Sweets With Vegetables and Fruits--A Question of Cost Am J Public Health, September 1, 2004; 94(9): 1555 - 1559. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. de Graaf, W. A. Blom, P. A. Smeets, A. Stafleu, and H. F. Hendriks Biomarkers of satiation and satiety Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 2004; 79(6): 946 - 961. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Drewnowski and S. Specter Poverty and obesity: the role of energy density and energy costs Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2004; 79(1): 6 - 16. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Drewnowski and A. S. Levine Sugar and Fat-From Genes to Culture J. Nutr., March 1, 2003; 133(3): 829S - 830. [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Drewnowski Fat and Sugar: An Economic Analysis J. Nutr., March 1, 2003; 133(3): 838S - 840. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]