While there might be some argument about how much of my brain I’m actually using, I definitely need whatever I have left, so I won’t be dieting any time soon:
Like other parts of the body, brain cells begin to eat themselves as a last-ditch source of energy to ward off starvation, a study found.The body responds by producing fatty acids, which turn up the hunger signal in the brain and increase our impulse to eat.
Researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in New York said the findings could lead to new scientifically proven weight loss treatments.
Tests on mice found that stopping the brain cells from eating themselves — a process known as autophagy — prevented levels of hunger from rising in response to starvation.
The chemical change in their brains caused the mice to become lighter and slimmer after a period of fasting, the researchers reported in the journal Cell Metabolism.
This article appears in Jul 28 – Aug 3, 2011.
I would expect to see an article like this (incomplete story lacking detail) to be in the STAR … not in this lovely rag.
if this is true, then all the people who are starving in the world are literally losing brain cells…
yes, starving and ‘dieting’ people are literally losing brain cells. we make the ridiculous error of failing to consume good, healthy fat from well-treated, properly(grass) fed animals, and instead eat highly processed, artificially sweetened, “low fat” “reduced fat” “diet” crap. Eat healthy fats. Stop eating wheat, sugar, and oxidized seed oils (ie processed foods) and save your ass. I mean, your brain.
Stop dieting liberals !