Dietary sugars and non-caloric sweeteners elicit different homeostatic and hedonic responses in the brain

Our brain is essential in regulating intake of food and beverages, by balancing energy- homeostasis with reward perception (1). The hypothalamus is an important structure that regulates energy homeostasis by integrating information from glucose and insulin trajectories, with varying levels of hormones and peptides from the gut and stomach (2-5). The mesolimbic pathway, together with the homeostatic regulation, is responsible for the hedonic response to food. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) and other areas of the limbic system (amygdala, nucleus accumbens) are important parts of the mesolimbic pathway involved in this hedonic response (6).

Source: Nutrition - September 13, 2018 Category: Nutrition Authors: A.M. van Opstal, I. Kaal, A.A. van den Berg-Huysmans, M. Hoeksma, C. Blonk, H. Pijl, S.A.R.B Rombouts, J. van der Grond Source Type: research