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Posted on Aug 21, 2008, 8 p.m.
By Jeanelle Topping
The cells that control a person's appetite in the brain degenerate over time, it has been discovered.
The cells that control a person's appetite in the brain degenerate over time, it has been discovered.
A Monash University scientist has revealed that this can lead to increased hunger which heightens the likelihood of weight gain later in life.
In news that may be of interest to anti-aging physicians, neuroendocrinologist Dr Zane Andrews, whose research is published in Nature, found that free radicals attacked the brain cells after eating, a process that was increased after the consumption of carbohydrates and sugars.
He explained that this could potentially lead to people eating more, Eurekalert notes.
"Free radicals created naturally in the body attack the POMC neurons. This process causes the neurons to degenerate overtime, affecting our judgment as to when our hunger is satisfied," Dr Andrews added.
In related news, research carried out at the Peninsula Medical School in the south-west of England has found that old-age obesity could increase the risk of disability.
