Western diets turn on fat genes: Energy-dense foods may activate genes that ultimately make us obese. A double-whammy as the already difficult task of converting high-fat and high-sugar foods to energy is made even harder because these foods also turn our bodies into “supersized fat-storing” machines. foods high in fat and sugar stimulate a known opioid receptor, called the kappa opioid receptor, which plays a role in fat metabolism. When this receptor is stimulated, it causes our bodies to hold on to far more fat than our bodies would do otherwise.. “In times when food was scarce and starvation an ever-present threat, an adaptation that allows our bodies to store as much energy as possible during plentiful times was probably a lifesaver

December 1, 2009 in News
Tags: diet, energy dense foods, Health

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