Sweet tooth? It's the liver

A hormone made inside the liver may hold the key to the human sweet tooth.

Scientists have gained what they believe are the first insights into the molecular mechanisms to help explain why some people like sweets more than others.

The researchers at the University of Copenhagen have found that people with specific variants or versions of the gene that makes the hormone called FGF21 are 20 per cent more likely to enjoy feeding on sweets, such as ice cream or chocolates.

Their study, published yesterday in the journal Cell Metabolism, also suggests for the first time that the liver, through the FGF21 hormone, may control human eating behaviour. Laboratory studies on rodents have already shown that the hormone acts on the brain's reward centre.

"We're now a step closer to understanding the molecular basis of the sweet tooth - something that has not been well understood," Matthew Gillum, assistant professor of biological sciences at the university, told The Telegraph. "We think the liver sends messages to the brain and influences eating behaviour."

Gillum and his colleagues at the University of Iowa in the US had discovered the role of the FGF21 hormone in regulating the ingestion of sweets in rodents in 2015 and in non-human primates last year. Their current study was aimed at exploring whether the hormone also influences the consumption of sweets by humans.

The scientists examined the eating habits of several thousand people across Denmark and found that people with either one or two variants of the FGF21 hormone were likely to consume larger amounts of sweets than people who lacked those specific variants of the gene.

How exactly the genetic differences translate into behaviour is still unclear, Gillum said. "It is possible that these variants perturb the normal regulatory pathway that restrains the appetite for sugar after a little bit has been consumed, but we still need to understand the precise mechanisms."

As part of their study, the researchers focused on people who either shunned sweets or were extremely fond of sweets and found differences in FGF21 levels between the two sets of people after fasting. 

Those who disliked sweets had fasting FGF21 levels higher than those who liked sweets. But when the volunteers drank sugar-laced water containing about twice as much sugar as a soft drink can, the FGF21 blood levels rose to about the same levels in both sets of people - those who disliked sweets and those who liked sweets.

These observations suggest FGF21 may be a "negative regulator" of sweet consumption because the hormone increased markedly after the oral sugar intake and because those who dislike sweets have higher FGF21 levels than those who like.

The researchers also detected an association between FGF21 and smoking and alcohol intake and have said their findings warrant a clinical trial to confirm the connection between FGF21 and sweet intake, alcohol drinking and smoking.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations 
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement