A recent Duke University Medical Center study of mouse brains, showed that the patterns of gene regulation stimulated by salt cravings are the same gene patterns regulated by drug addictions to cocaine or heroin. Salt craving is regulated by the hypothalamus and researchers found that blocking addiction-related pathways could powerfully interfere with sodium appetite. The study used several methods to figure out which genes in mammal brains were activated by salt cravings, such as withholding salt from mice or increasing their salt needs by giving them the stress hormone ACTH. Within ten minutes of drinking salty water rapid brain change was observed in the mice. Salt craving has been an ancient instinct embedded in our history for centuries. Salt appetite has been known to force animals to desperately travel across dangerous mountain ranges to get to a salt lick, putting their lives in danger. Since salt appetite and drug addiction operate by the same mechanisms, this may explain why drug addictions are so hard to overcome. Of course, salt appetite is a relatively harmless instinct when compared to addictions to opiates, but the research could help understand better methods of overcoming addiction.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Salty Snack Cravings Related to Drug Addictions?
A recent Duke University Medical Center study of mouse brains, showed that the patterns of gene regulation stimulated by salt cravings are the same gene patterns regulated by drug addictions to cocaine or heroin. Salt craving is regulated by the hypothalamus and researchers found that blocking addiction-related pathways could powerfully interfere with sodium appetite. The study used several methods to figure out which genes in mammal brains were activated by salt cravings, such as withholding salt from mice or increasing their salt needs by giving them the stress hormone ACTH. Within ten minutes of drinking salty water rapid brain change was observed in the mice. Salt craving has been an ancient instinct embedded in our history for centuries. Salt appetite has been known to force animals to desperately travel across dangerous mountain ranges to get to a salt lick, putting their lives in danger. Since salt appetite and drug addiction operate by the same mechanisms, this may explain why drug addictions are so hard to overcome. Of course, salt appetite is a relatively harmless instinct when compared to addictions to opiates, but the research could help understand better methods of overcoming addiction.
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[...] original post here: Punnett's Square » Salty Snack Cravings Related to Drug Addictions? Category: Addictions | Tags: archives, drug-addiction, genetics, humor, kelsey-watkins, [...]
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this could possibly explain someone's addiction to just food in general as well. Perhaps research could be performed to reduce such cravings and potentially curb obesity on the molecular level.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that salt and cocaine/heroine are controlled by the same part of the brain because they are similar in appearance as well
ReplyDelete@Julia
ReplyDeleteThat is a good point, but you would also have to ensure that the reduction of the craving would not lead to a sodium deficiency, since sodium is an essential part of the human diet. It definitely is unhealthy to be in excess, but a deficiency is not good either. Perhaps if the sodium craving was eliminated, drug manufacturers could make sodium a part of a supplement or people might just eat a pinch of salt every now and again.
very interesting to find out that salt and other drugs like cocaine are controlled by similar part of the brain.
ReplyDeleteI like what William said about the appearance. It's be interesting to see if there are any visual signals that effect how your body addicts itself to certain substances.
ReplyDelete