Make love, not gluttony!
You may have heard that about 100 kilocalories are burned during sexual intercourse, but according to data obtained by Canadian researchers from the University of York and the Center for the Prevention of Drug Addiction and Mental Disorders, working under the guidance of Caroline Davis, this pleasant activity can also be an excellent prevention of overeating due to the production of the appetite-suppressing hormone oxytocin.
The hormone oxytocin, which has a powerful effect on the body, has been attracting a lot of attention from researchers for several decades. This hormone is released during kissing, hugging, breastfeeding and, of course, sexual intercourse. Oxytocin has previously been shown to be a "social lubricant" that reduces stress levels and facilitates contact between people. Since this hormone triggers a mechanism in the brain that forms a sense of reward, experts have suggested that it may have a positive effect on people suffering from impulsive gluttony, since it is assumed that they have violations of this signaling mechanism.
As part of the study, the authors conducted a survey of a group of sexually active adults aged 27 to 50 years, including those suffering from impulsive gluttony. The body weight of the participants varied widely. All participants answered questions about their eating habits, including preferences for certain types of food, namely carbohydrate-rich sweets or fatty treats. In addition, they described their reactions to rewards and punishments.
After that, blood samples were taken from them for DNA analysis and to study the functioning of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), responsible for the reaction of cells to oxytocin. In addition, it was analyzed how different variations of the gene are interrelated with appetite, food preferences, the amount of food consumed and personality traits associated with the signaling pathway of the brain that forms a sense of reward.
Analysis of the collected data showed that participants with certain single nucleotide polymorphisms of the OXTR gene have personality traits characteristic of serious manifestations of impulsive gluttony. Three of the seven identified genetic variants are responsible for 37% of variations in the tendency to overeat. Another variation is directly associated with gluttony.
Earlier studies have shown that romantic feelings contribute to an increase in the level of oxytocin in the brain, which, in turn, increases the concentration of the neurotransmitter dopamine responsible for good mood, interpreted by the brain as a reward. Since oxytocin can shift a person's attention from food to another person (preferably a partner), approaches that increase the level of this hormone could help in the fight against insatiable appetite and excess weight.
The results of a new preliminary study suggest that different people, depending on their genetic characteristics, may react differently to an increase in oxytocin levels. However, it should be remembered that with a tendency to impulsive overeating, it is quite possible to try to replace the next meal with the satisfaction of sexual appetite.
The abstracts of the report on the results of A joint study by Canada's York University and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health examinations oxytocin's role in binge eating were presented at the annual congress of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior held on July 12-16, 2016 in Porto, Portugal.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru
19.07.2016