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2024-11-11

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Cannabis activates specific hunger neurons in brain (news.wsu.edu)

submitted 10 months ago by MicroWave to c/science

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While it is well known that cannabis can cause the munchies, researchers have now revealed a mechanism in the brain that promotes appetite in a set of animal studies at Washington State University.

The discovery, detailed in the journal Scientific Reports, could pave the way for refined therapeutics to treat appetite disorders faced by cancer patients as well as anorexia and potentially obesity.

After exposing mice to vaporized cannabis sativa, researchers used calcium imaging technology, which is similar to a brain MRI, to determine how their brain cells responded. They observed that cannabis activated a set of cells in the hypothalamus when the rodents anticipated and consumed palatable food that were not activated in unexposed mice.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Did you consider emotional issues that are less present when high and otherwise drive you to eat when sober?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It's possible, but I feel like I eat smaller than average amounts when sober anyway.