33 THINGS BRAIN

THAT PROGRAM YOUR TO MAKE YOU FAT,

ASPARTAME is found in diet soft drinks and chewing gum, among other things, where its sweetening effect is 200 times that of sugar for the equivalent number of calories. The synthetic sweetener can thus be used in far lower quantities than natural sugar and has virtually no effect on the caloric content. It also stimulates the appetite, but unlike natural sugar it provides the body nothing to satiate it. Due to the lack of sugar, the brain sends a signal that the body is not getting enough energy—and tells us to eat more. Thus the calories we avoid by consuming diet drinks find another way to enter the body.

07_CAN A PLASTIC LID MAKE ME RAVENOUSLY HUNGRY?

PHTHALATES are chemicals used to make plastic and vinyl more flexible. But when food and water are packaged in plastic, they can be contaminated by phthalates leaching out of packaging. For example, they can be transferred from a plastic lid to the solid or liquid food and be ingested by the body when we consume the food item. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors that impact the body’s hormonal balance. Researchers believe they may contribute to obesity by affecting hormone receptors related to metabolism. Studies have indicated that high phthalate levels in the body are associated with obesity.

08_HOW CAN REGULAR WHITE BREAD MANIPULATE THE BRAIN?

FAST-BURNING CARBOHYDRATES like bleached flour are real body-fatteners. A good example is white bread: Lots of people eat it for breakfast in the form of toast. What many don’t realize: Their breakfast is manipulating their brains. In contrast with whole-grain bread, white bread is very high on the glycemic index, which means it makes our blood sugar levels rise abruptly. The brain perceives large amounts of energy being suddenly available and orders the extra calories to be stored in the form of fat. However the abrupt rise in blood sugar is quickly followed by an equally abrupt decline when the easily digested carbohydrates are no longer supplying energy. As soon as the body recognizes this decline, it demands more energy, and the feeling of hunger returns.

09_CAN PLASTIC BOTTLES TURN OFF OUR “OVERWEIGHT ALARM”?

BISPHENOL A (BPA) is a chemical found in some plastics and resins used to make plastic food and beverage containers or to coat metal food containers and water lines. A recent study has revealed that BPA inhibits the release of adiponectin, a hormone that helps regulate glucose in the body. This may raise the incidence of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. When the level of adiponectin is diminished, the brain’s ability to make intelligent eating decisions is impaired.

10_CAN JAMS AND JELLIES MAKE US WANT TO EAT MORE?

CYCLAMATE has been banned in the U.S. for use in food since 1969, but reapproval is being considered due to its seemingly safe use in other countries, where the chemical can be found in diet beverages, desserts, and breakfast spreads such as jams and jellies. Less sweet than other artificial sweeteners, cyclamate is still 30 to 50 times sweeter than sugar and can cause our bodies to overproduce insulin and thus lead to obesity. Early studies warned of human toxicity, however that has not been borne out by later research. But even if cyclamate is reapproved in the U.S., there are other sugar substitutes that appear to have fewer downsides. Stevia, for example, is a natural sweetener that tastes several hundred times sweeter than regular sugar but has few calories. In South America it has been used since the 16th century to sweeten beverages.

RED MEAT, usually defined as the meat from cows, pigs, and sheep, is not only suspected of possessing carcinogenic properties. There also appears to be a direct correlation between the excessive consumption of meat and weight gain— particularly if the meat has undergone industrial processing. There is evidence that long-term consumption of sausage, bacon, and ham, for example, leads to an increase in weight in women as well as men. The quantity of such meats that a person eats also plays a pivotal role, of course. Nutrition experts recommend that a serving of meat should generally not exceed the size of a deck of playing cards. However the meat of poultry such as chicken and turkey is considered an excellent source of protein and supports fundamental metabolic processes in the human body.