Why do we love unhealthy and spicy foods so much? Scientists answer

Foods high in fats and sugars change our brain, and if we regularly eat even small amounts of them, the brain learns to consume them in the future.

This was found by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, in collaboration with Yale University.

Why do we love unhealthy and spicy foods so much? How does this preference develop in our brain? “We think the brain learns this preference,” explains Charmili Edwin Thanaraya, lead author of the study.

The brain responds more to foods high in fat and sugar

To test this hypothesis, the researchers gave a group of volunteers a small candy high in fat and sugar every day for eight weeks, in addition to their normal diet. Another group received a dessert containing the same number of calories, but less fat. The volunteers’ brain activity was measured before and during the eight weeks.

The brain’s response to foods high in fat and sugar increased significantly in the group that ate the high-fat and sugary pudding after eight weeks. This specifically activated the dopamine system, the area in the brain responsible for motivation and reward.

The researchers hypothesize that the preference for sugary foods will continue after the study ends.

“New connections are made in the brain and they don’t decay quickly. After all, the whole point of learning is that once you learn something, you don’t forget it so easily,” explains Mark Titgemer of the same institute, who led the study.