Room for dessert? I don’t have room to breathe!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Even after dinner, your brain still craves sugar. Why?
Enter Marielle Minère and team at Max Planck Institute. They discovered a brain circuit connecting fullness with sugar cravings.
These neurons activate a brain region called the paraventricular thalamus, releasing feel-good signals. This makes sugary foods extra appealing, ESPECIALLY when you’re full.
In mice, blocking this circuit cut sugar intake in half. However, activation made the mice eat MORE sweets—even when full! Human brain scans showed sugar suppresses activity in that same brain region.
Understanding how our brains drive sugar cravings could help fight overeating and obesity.
So when you reach for dessert, don’t blame psychology…blame biology!
Reference: Minère, M., Wilhelms, H., Kuzmanovic, B. et al. Thalamic opioids from POMC satiety neurons switch on sugar appetite. Science, 387 (2025) https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adp1510