When temperatures rise, appetite decreases: It has been scientifically proven that food intake is reduced during acute exposure to heat. An international research team led by MedUni Vienna has now discovered why food intake is reduced at high temperatures. The results of the study might provide starting points for the development of new treatments for morbid overweight (obesity) but also for anorexia. The new study took place in collaboration with the Yale University School of Medicine (USA). The results were published in the top journal “Nature”.
Brain cells inhibited
“The signaling pathway we discovered shows that exposure to heat does not influence the feeling of satiety, as previously assumed. Rather, the release of a certain growth factor inhibits the activity of those brain cells that stimulate the search for and intake of food,” says Tibor Harkany from Center for Brain Research at MedUni Vienna. Maintaining the core temperature between 36.5 and 37.4 degrees is necessary for human survival. That is why the body initiates various reactions when exposed to acute heat (as well as cold). Studies on mice showed that special cells in the brain are activated at temperatures above 40 degrees. Inhibiting or activating the neural circuit using medication might prove to be a treatment option for people who are overweight or underweight. However, further research is needed for this, according to the scientists.
