Scientists Just Figured Out How Food Aversions Actually Form
When your stomach sends out distress signals from feeling sick, it can reactivate parts of your memory associated with what you recently ate, even if your last meal was several hours earlier.
Researchers found that animals only stored adverse responses to new or novel flavors, not familiar ones, which may be connected to mechanisms for evolutionary survival.The ways in which your body works to protect you without you even noticing are astonishing — and that includes your brain's efforts to save you from food poisoning.
In early April, researchers published findings in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature that explored how animal brains — specifically mice — learn to associate certain flavors with sickness, even when symptoms of illness don't appear until several hours later.
The study investigated how animal brains perform what's known as "credit assignment," a process that helps them determine which food or event caused them to get sick, even when the culpable meal was eaten some time ago.
It works like this: When your gut sends out a distress signal — the study calls this postingestive feedback, but it may help to think of it as a literal "gut reaction" — the brain selectively reactivates your memories of what you recently ate. This neural replay helps the brain link the thing that made you sick (i.e., the food) to the effect (i.e., puking all night long), even if they are separated by hours.
Related: The FDA Is Updating Its Food Safety Protocol Specifically for Berries — Here's Why
The research, led by Christopher Zimmerman and Ilana Witten from the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, uncovered this connection by tracking how mice learned to avoid certain flavors.
In the experiments, mice were offered a sip of grape Kool-Aid, followed by an injection of lithium chloride to induce gastrointestinal malaise, a more formal way of saying digestive discomfort. After just one go-around with an upset tummy, the mice developed a strong aversion to the specific Kool-Aid flavor, and when offered it again a few days later, said "no thanks" in their own little mouse way.
Interestingly, the mice did not develop the same aversion when they fell ill after consuming a flavor that they were previously familiar with. This suggests the brain flags novel experiences — or in this case, new flavors — as potentially dangerous, a behavior the scientists said is rooted in evolutionary survival.
The memory of the novel flavor and the resulting aversion were found to be stored in the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for processing emotions, including fear and stress. Only when a flavor was new and paired with food poisoning were neurons in the amygdala reactivated during gut distress.
Related: How to Understand Food Expiration Dates
While this study was performed on mice, it offers insight into how humans learn about food dangers, too. The findings suggest that our brains don't just passively store events, but rather can actively revisit past experiences when new information (like nausea) arises.
The study also highlights the gut-brain pathway, which further supports a growing body of research that suggests our digestive system plays a crucial role in and can impact brain function, behavior, mood, and anxiety.
The ability to "gut check" our experiences, the researchers note, is "essential for survival — nutritious foods are valuable, whereas poisonous foods can be deadly." Even if we're no longer at a stage in evolutionary development where we're tasting unfamiliar ingredients that might be toxic, these learnings provide valuable information for better understanding the relationship between the gut and mind.
Read the original article on Food & Wine
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
39 minutes ago
- New York Times
Walmart Recalls Frozen Shrimp After Radioactive Contamination Warning
Walmart has removed imported frozen shrimp from store shelves in 13 states after the Food and Drug Administration said that contamination from a radioactive isotope had been found in shipping containers and in one sample. The recalled shrimp won't make you glow green. The F.D.A. said that no frozen shrimp that tested positive for the isotope, cesium-137, had reached stores. And Barbara Kowalcyk, director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University, said the risk to the public was very low. 'I think they're doing the recall as a precautionary approach,' she said in an interview on Wednesday. The F.D.A. urged consumers on Tuesday to throw out certain packages of Great Value-brand frozen raw shrimp that they purchased at Walmart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia. The agency said that U.S. Customs and Border Protection had reported the detection of cesium-137 in shipping containers at U.S. ports in Los Angeles, Houston, Miami and Savannah, Ga. The F.D.A. said it collected multiple samples and confirmed the presence of cesium-137 in one sample of breaded shrimp. The agency said that none of the containers or products that tested positive for the substance were allowed into the country. 'The product appears to have been prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated,' the agency said. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
If You Take Allergy Meds, You Should Know About This Withdrawal Symptom
bymuratdeniz/Getty Images If you're a spring or summer allergy sufferer, you've probably powered through your fair share of antihistamines by now. (And if it's fall pollen that stuffs up your sinuses, perhaps you're stocking up.) These meds block histamine—the chemical your body releases in response to allergens—bringing sweet relief from the itchy eyes, runny nose, and other miserable symptoms it triggers. But stopping the drugs isn't always simple. For some folks, a form of antihistamine withdrawal can crop up in their absence. The main symptom of this type of withdrawal is itching all over your body, particularly when you suddenly stop taking Zyrtec (cetirizine) or Xyzal (levocetirizine) after months of continuous use, Sheryl Mathew, MD, a board-certified allergist and immunologist at ENT and Allergy Associates Pennsylvania, tells SELF. After receiving more than 200 reports about this reaction over the past few years, the FDA issued a safety statement in May, requiring prescription versions of these drugs to include a warning and calling on manufacturers to add one to OTC options. And that number just includes the people who reported it to the agency; if Reddit is any indication, antihistamine withdrawal could be even more prevalent. Keep reading to learn how and why allergy med withdrawal happens, and what you can do to calm the itchy response. What does antihistamine withdrawal look like, and why does it happen? The word 'withdrawal' is a bit misleading here, as this kind of reaction 'isn't caused by becoming dependent on antihistamines in the way that we think of, say, nicotine or caffeine addiction,' Payel Gupta, MD, a Brooklyn-based board-certified allergist and immunologist and a member of the medical advisory council of the Allergy & Asthma Network, tells SELF. Instead, think about it as a boomerang response of your histamine receptors. When they've been restricted for so long by the antihistamines, they may essentially overcompensate by becoming ultrasensitive, Dr. Gupta explains. So when you stop the meds, they're primed to spring into overdrive—which is what may spark the all-over itching. (Your skin is full of histamine receptors.) That change in histamine sensitivity likely develops over time, which is why you're more likely to experience withdrawal if you've been popping the meds daily for several months or years (for instance, to deal with perennial allergies to dust mites, pet dander, or mold). But as Dr. Gupta points out, allergy season has also been creeping earlier each year and extending later due to climate change, so even the seasonal sufferers might be taking antihistamines long enough to prompt withdrawal upon stopping. (And in a few cases reported to the FDA, people experienced the itchy response after less than a month of use.) Some anecdotal reports of antihistamine withdrawal also cite insomnia, mood swings, and worsened allergy symptoms—but the only phenomenon proven to be linked to quitting the medication is the itching, Dr. Mathew says. If it seems as if your stuffy nose and watery eyes are worse post-antihistamine use than before you started, Dr. Gupta points out that you may have just forgotten how bad things actually were. These other symptoms more likely point to your underlying allergies resurfacing (which can also certainly wreck your sleep and, in turn, your mood) versus withdrawal from the meds. How to get ahead of antihistamine withdrawal and find relief from the intense itching If you're in the throes of itching hell, your best bet is to restart the antihistamine for a few days at your previous cadence and then slowly taper off of it (rather than stopping suddenly), Dr. Mathews says. This is also a good approach to prevent antihistamine withdrawal: If you're popping Zyrtec or Xyzal every day, go down to every other day for a week or two, then every third day for another couple weeks if you're still feeling well, Dr. Gupta suggests. This way, it won't come as a shock to your system when you ultimately cut it out. In the meantime, she recommends slathering on a gentle moisturizer (including ingredients like aloe vera, ceramides, or shea butter) a couple times a day, taking cool colloidal oatmeal baths (and avoiding super-hot showers), and wearing loose-fitting clothing to help calm your skin. You may also get relief with a corticosteroid cream like hydrocortisone designed to tamp down inflammation—but it's best to check in with your doctor before using one, as even the OTC options can come with side effects if used for too long. You might also circumvent antihistamine withdrawal by continuously taking the drugs, so long as you're sticking to second-generation antihistamines. These are the non-sedating options including both Zyrtec and Xyzal as well as Allegra and Claritin. (Older antihistamines like Benadryl can cross into your brain, making you drowsy and upping your risk for other side effects with long-term use.) It's wise to check with your doctor to see if this route is right for you, Dr. Gupta says. And if you'd just prefer not to continually self-medicate or risk the potential for withdrawal down the line? Know that there are plenty of other options for managing allergies, which may be worth chatting through with your doctor. For example, you might be able to reduce your allergies long-term with allergy shots. There are also prescription medications that have different mechanisms for halting the allergic response, like antileukotrienes and mast cell stabilizers, Dr. Gupta points out, as well as alternative OTC solutions like nasal steroids (such as Flonase or Nasacort) and allergy eye drops (like Pataday and Zaditor) that directly target symptoms in their respective areas. But if oral antihistamines are your ideal allergy-buster, know that you're not doomed to discomfort after stopping these drugs, nor do you have to stay on them forever. Even a harsh withdrawal reaction can be tamed, and your doctor can help you pinpoint the best alternative allergy solution to pivot to instead. Related: Can You Develop Allergies Later in Life? Sadly, Yes—Here's How to Deal 6 Signs Your Angry Skin Rash Might Be an Allergic Reaction Allergies vs. Cold Symptoms: How to Determine What's Making You Miserable Get more of SELF's great service journalism delivered right to your inbox. Originally Appeared on Self
Fast Company
an hour ago
- Fast Company
A new FDA-approved device could change how Americans lose weight
Small wearable patches that continuously scan your blood and zap numbers to your smartphone are about to be everywhere. Once the sole domain of people with diabetes, glucose monitors are gaining popularity as a health tracking accessory not that different from an Apple Watch or an Oura Ring. On Wednesday, the FDA approved a glucose monitoring system from the startup Signos for weight management – a first for the tech, which represents a growing corner of the digital wellness space. 'Everyone deserves access to insights that help them live healthier, longer, more vibrant lives,' Signos CEO Sharam Fouladgar-Mercer said in a press release. 'Signos isn't just about data; it's about giving people ownership over their health and weight journeys in a way never before seen.' Signos designed an app that sets glucose range goals based on individual needs and tailors them over time, encouraging its users to make healthy lifestyle choices to meet them. The app pairs with the Stelo continuous glucose monitor (CGM) sensor patch made by Dexcom, which already sells its devices over the counter for around $100 a month. 'This is the first-ever FDA clearance for a system for weight that isn't a pharmacological intervention, isn't a surgical intervention,' Fouladgar-Mercer told STAT. FDA approval is an expensive, time-intensive process, but obtaining the clearance means a Signos subscription could be covered by HSA and FSA plans and potentially be reimbursed by insurance in the future. Signos sells its plans for $129 for six months, which includes glucose sensors and access to its app, which converts real-time blood sugar data into health insights and tips. The company can also now boast about being the 'world's first and only FDA-cleared app and CGM for weight management and wellness,' which might take it pretty far in a soon-to-be crowded market. As is the case with all technology these days, Signos uses AI to offer personalized recommendations based on the data it logs. Users can also track their food and exercise within the company's app, blending that data with glucose monitoring to make changes to their behavior and diet. Fouladgar-Mercer believes that bariatric surgery patients and some people using GLP-1s for weight loss will want the additional insights possible with the Signos app. The app also offers an alternative non-pharmaceutical path for people looking for new ways to succeed in their weight management goals, and could provide an off-ramp for former GLP-1 users looking to maintain their results with behavioral changes. One piece of the MAHA movement Obsessively quantifying the self right down to your blood sugar levels isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it is a major health goal for the Trump administration. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is championing health tracking devices as part of the Make America Healthy Again movement, which is pursuing disparate health goals from regulating ultra-processed foods to investigating well-studied vaccines, sowing doubt about life-saving shots in the process. 'It's a way… people can take control over their own health. They can take responsibility,' Kennedy said at a recent House Subcommittee on Health hearing. 'They can see, as you know, what food is doing to their glucose levels, their heart rates and a number of other metrics as they eat it, and they can begin to make good judgments about their diet, about their physical activity, about the way that they live their lives.' Beyond RFK Jr., the U.S. government is poised to have a major glucose tracking booster in the administration. In June, Trump swapped his previous surgeon general nominee out in favor of Dr. Casey Means, a wellness industry figure who co-founded a blood glucose monitoring startup called Levels. Like Signos, that company sells subscription access to an app, pairing custom software with off-the-shelf glucose monitors made by Dexcom. Unlike Signos, Levels is not FDA approved for weight management and is marketed for general wellness. Kennedy, a skeptic of weight loss drugs, has advocated for dietary and behavioral changes over GLP-1s to reverse the most worrying U.S. health trends. 'We think that wearables are a key to the MAHA agenda — Making America Healthy Again,'' Kennedy said. 'My vision is that every American is wearing a wearable within four years.'
