Bacon and cheesecake can alter the brain in ways similar to heroin and cocaine, according to scientists who say they have found the most compelling proof yet that high-fat foods rewire the brain and drive the development of compulsive eating.

When rats raised on regular chow were suddenly given unrestricted access to a high-fat diet, they lost complete control over their eating. Not even mild foot shocks kept them from compulsively feasting on chocolate bars, cream-stuffed cakes, sausage, frosting and other highly palatable human foods. Within 40 days, their body weight had increased 25 per cent.

The rats not only got fat, they also showed addiction-like changes in brain reward circuits - the same changes that have been reported in humans addicted to drugs.

Specifically, the obese rats showed lower levels of a receptor in the brain called the dopamine D2 receptor. The D2 receptor responds to dopamine, the chemical associated with feelings of reward. The brain releases bursts of dopamine when we eat food that tastes good.

The more junk food the rats ate, the more they overloaded the brain's reward circuitries until they essentially crashed. As the pleasure centres in the brain became more and more blase, and less responsive, the rats quickly turned into compulsive overeaters. They were motivated to keep eating to get their fix.

"They're in a state of reward deficit, so that they're now even more motivated to obtain rewarding food, perpetuating this vicious cycle even further," said study co-author Paul Kenny, an associate professor at Scripps Research Institute in Florida.

The findings, published Sunday in an advance online edition of the journal Nature Neuroscience, could have profound implications for the millions of Canadians struggling to control their eating.

"What this is telling you is that, if you persist in eating food that you know is bad for you, there is a chance that you will develop a habit, and you will keep on going back to that food unless you make a really strong, conscious effort to stop it," Kenny said

"It's incumbent upon people to make sure that they're more respectful and aware of what they're eating. Just be aware that there are dangers and risks associated. Enjoy (high-fat) food but make sure it's occasionally and very-well controlled. Don't overindulge repeatedly, because there could be repercussions."

Dr. Valerie Taylor, an assistant professor in psychiatry and behavioural neuroscience at McMaster University in Hamilton, said the study is a validation "that some people are simply more vulnerable to the whole concept of being addicted to food."

"The fact that we're now in this high-temptation environment further serves to exacerbate that."

Taylor said the study provides "very strong evidence supporting what a lot of us who work in the field have seen clinically - that, for some people, it's more than just simply willpower. There's something else going on."

According to the latest estimates from Statistics Canada, 37 per cent of the adult population age 20 to 69 - 7.9 million people - are overweight. Another 24 per cent - 5.3 million - are obese.

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© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Written by: Sharon Kirkey

October 26, 2009. The results of the decade-long Interphone study on cell phone safety are that heavy cell phone use increases the risk of developing brain tumors later in life.

 The study, which focused on three types of brain cancer and tumors of the parotid gland, found a significant increase in cancer after a decade or more of cell phone use.

When a cell phone tower connects with a cell phone, electromagnetic radiation is created.When the cell phone is held against the ear, this radiation penetrates the brain.

According the Daily Telegraph in London, the World Health Organization (WHO) will soon publish the results of the Interphone study, which was conducted in 12 countries by the International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC).

Head researcher Dr. Elisabeth Cardis told the Telegraph, “In the absence of definitive results and in the light of a number of studies which, though limited, suggest a possible effect of radiofrequency radiation, precautions are important. I am therefore globally in agreement with the idea of restricting the use by children, though I would not go as far as banning mobile phones as they can be a very important tool, not only in emergencies, but also maintaining contact between children and their parents and thus playing a reassurance role. Means to reduce our exposure (use of hands-free kits and moderating our use of phones) are also interesting.”

 These results from the Interphone study follow closely on research published in the Oct 13 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, which reviewed existing research on the association between cell phones and brain tumors. It found that when just the well-done studies were included, there was an 18% increased risk of brain tumors in cell phone users, and that they tended to occur on the side of the head that the cell phone was used most.

In the United States, which did not participate in the Interphone study, there are 270 million cell phones in use. Senator Tom Harkin, now head of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, has promised to probe more deeply into the question of a link between cell phones and brain cancer.

There’s no argument that cell phones emit an electromagnetic field, a form of microwave radiation, that enters the brain when the cell phone is held against the ear, and there’s good research showing that the field does affect brain function. Although research has not shown that short term cell phone use causes cancer, a large population study from Sweden has shown that people who use cell phones for more than ten years on the same side of the head have a 40% higher risk of certain types of brain tumors. The Interphone study adds to this evidence.

Cell phone users can distance the brain from electromagnetic fields by using the speaker phone function, a headset, or by texting.

Article from Examiner.com by LA Women's Health Examiner, Virgina Hopkins