Scientists switch off sugar cravings in mice — what could it mean for your diet?

Neuroscientists at Columbia University eliminated sugar cravings in mice by "switching" on and off neuron transmitters in the amygdala, the emotion center of the brain. After the neural tinkering, mice tasted sweet as bitter and bitter as sweet. They published their findings in the journal Nature on Wednesday, May 30, 2018. less Neuroscientists at Columbia University eliminated sugar cravings in mice by "switching" on and off neuron transmitters in the amygdala, the emotion center of the brain. After the neural tinkering, mice tasted ... more Photo: Jan Stromme, Getty Images Photo: Jan Stromme, Getty Images Image 1 of / 27 Caption Close Scientists switch off sugar cravings in mice — what could it mean for your diet? 1 / 27 Back to Gallery

If you give a mouse a cookie, it might not ask for another one. That is, if you properly rewire its brain first.

Neuroscientists at Columbia University eliminated sugar cravings in mice by "switching" on and off neuron transmitters in the amygdala, the emotion center of the brain. After the neural tinkering, mice tasted sweet as bitter and bitter as sweet. Water suddenly became as appealing to the rodents as sugar.

The research, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, may aid in the treatment and understanding of obesity and eating disorders, like anorexia nervosa.

When food hits the tongue, tongue cells send signals to specific regions of the brain to identify the food's taste and trigger the proper behavior.

"When our brain senses a taste it not only identifies its quality, it choreographs a wonderful symphony of neuronal signals that link that experience to its context, hedonic value, memories, emotions and the other senses, to produce a coherent response," said Charles S. Zuker, the paper's senior researcher and a principal investigator at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute, in a statement from the university.

Previous research led by Zuker revealed taste derives from discrete units that can be isolated, modified and removed. The scientists found separation between sweet and bitter regions in the taste cortex, a division that continues into the amygdala and allowed the researchers to independently manipulate the various taste centers.

Artificially switching off the sweet connections in the amygdala enabled mice to still recognize the taste, but without the emotional reaction.

"It would be like taking a bite of your favorite chocolate cake but not deriving any enjoyment from doing so," said the study's lead author Li Wang, a postdoctoral research scientist at the Zuckerman Institute, in the statement. "After a few bites, you may stop eating, whereas otherwise you would have scarfed it down."

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.