New research reveals neurons in the hippocampus that store memories of sugar and fat, influencing eating habits and metabolic health.
Can memory influence what and how much we eat? A revolutionary study by the Money Chemical Senses Center definitely answered this question with a resounding “yes”. Directed by the associate member of Money, Guillaume de Lartigue, PHD, the research team identified – for the first time – the memory system specific to brain food and its direct connection with the overeating and obesity induced by the diet.
Published in These results introduce two new concepts: first, proof that specific neurons in the brain store food -related memories, and secondly, that these memories have a direct impact on food contribution. “Although it was not surprising that we remember pleasant food experiences, it has long been assumed that these memories had little or no impact on eating behavior,” said Dr de Lartigue. “What is most surprising is that the inhibition of these neurons prevents weight gain, even in response to regimes rich in fat and sugar.” Memory is often overlooked as a key engine of food intake, but this study demonstrates a direct link between memory and metabolism. What distinguishes this discovery from other studies related to memory are its implications for understanding metabolic health. The abolition of neurons sensitive to sugar in the hippocampal of animals not only disturbs memory, but also reduces the supply of sugar and protects against weight gain, even when animals are exposed to diets rich in sugar. This highlights a direct link between certain brain circuits involved in memory and metabolic health, which has been largely neglected in the field of obesity research. “Hippocampus memory systems have evolved to help animals locate and remember critical food sources for survival,” said the first author Mingxin Yang, a “Data-Gt-translate-attributes =” ({“attribute =” “tabindex =” 0 “role =” link “> University of Pennsylvania
The underestimated role of memory
Specific but independent circuits
Another key discovery is that the memories related to food are very specific. Sugar sensitive neurons code and only influence the memories and the contribution linked to sugar, while fat -sensitive neurons have an impact only on the supply of fat. These neurons do not affect other types of memory, such as spatial memory for tasks not linked to food.
“The specificity of these circuits is fascinating,” said a drop. “He underlines how finely the brain is adjusted to link food to behavior, guarantee that animals can differentiate between various sources of nutrients in their environment.” We have separated types of neurons that code memory for foods rich in fats compared to memory for sugar -rich foods. These separate systems have probably evolved because the foods of nature rarely contain both fats and sugar, assume the authors.
Implications for treating obesity
The results of the study open up new possibilities to fight against overeating and obesity. By targeting hippocampal memory circuits, it may be possible to disrupt memory triggers that lead to the consumption of unhealthy and calorie foods.
“These neurons are essential to link sensory clues to food intake,” said Dr. de Lartigue. “Their ability to influence both memory and metabolism makes them promising objectives to deal with obesity in the world rich in food.”
Reference: “separate orexigenic hippocampal sets shape the food choice by improving contextual memory and motivation” by Mingxin Yang, Arashdeep Singh, Alan de Araujo, Molly McDougle, Hillary Ellis, Léa Décarie-Spain, Scott E. Kanoski and Guillame de Guillame Lartigue, January 15, 2025, Metabolism of nature.
DOI: 10.1038 / S42255-024-01194-6
This collaborative study was conducted with colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of South California and was supported by the
“Data-Gt-translate-attrattes =” ({“attribute =” “tabindex =” 0 “role =” link “> National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association.
