03 Apr The Scientist: Brain Cells That Remember Food May Influence Obesity
A trip to the grocery store is a sensory adventure, with aisles brimming with eye-catching packages designed to tempt shoppers. Each display promises a delicious and memorable food adventure. “We’ve all experienced this moment where we crave a specific food, even if we’re not physically hungry,” said Guillaume de Lartigue, a neuroscientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, who studies how the brain controls food intake.
Even a single whiff of fresh bread from a nearby bakery can evoke mouthwatering memories, instantly sparking hunger. This connection between memory and appetite led de Lartigue to wonder how memory centers in the brain influenced eating behavior and whether they contributed to obesity risk.
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