Is It Possible to Train Your Brain to Prefer Healthy Foods?

Training your brain to prefer healthy foods, published in ScienceDaily and based on research conducted at Tufts University

The article Training your brain to prefer healthy foods, published in ScienceDaily and based on research conducted at Tufts University, suggests it is possible to train your brain to prefer healthier foods over unhealthy foods. Scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University and at Massachusetts General Hospital conducted the experiment. Thirteen overweight and obese men and women participated in the experiment, including eight who joined in Tufts’ weight loss program and five who did not participate in the weight loss program. Before the experiment began, each individual participating in the weight loss program underwent an MRI scan, which displayed changes in certain areas of the brain associated with learning and addiction. After the experiment, the MRI scans revealed that certain areas of the brain had an elevated sensitivity to healthier foods, and which researchers concluded that those areas had more enjoyment of healthier foods. The MRI scans also showed a decreased sensitivity to unhealthier foods. “There is much more research to be done here, involving many more participants, long-term follow-up and investigating more areas of the brain,” said Dr. Susan B. Roberts, a director of the Energy Metabolism Laboratory at the USDA HNRCA. “But we are very encouraged that the weight loss program appears to change what foods are tempting to people.”

I decided to read this article because of the title. Like so many other people, I want to have a healthy lifestyle, so the article pulled me in. What especially grabbed my attention was how someone could train his or her brain. At first I did not understand how this could be possible, but then I realized I train my brain all the time, such as when I study for a quiz. One point I thought was missing from the article was what happened to the people who did not participate in the weight loss program. Also, I would have liked to know more about the weight loss program itself. I really enjoyed reading and writing about this article!

References
Tufts University. (2014, September 1). Training your brain to prefer healthy foods. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 8, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140901123455.htm