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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Published on: June 5, 2016

The selfish brain: stress and eating behavior.

Achim Peters¹, Britta Kubera, Christian Hubold

¹Medical Clinic 1, University of Luebeck Luebeck, Germany.

Frontiers in Neuroscience

|June 11, 2011

Summary

The brain prioritizes its energy needs during stress by limiting glucose to the body and increasing its own supply. This "selfish brain" model explains how the brain manages energy resources under duress.

Keywords:

brain-pull cerebral insulin suppression eating behavior selfish brain theory stress

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Metabolic research
Physiology

Background:

The brain has a unique role in human energy metabolism.
Under threat, the brain acts "selfishly" to secure energy resources.
Existing models lack a comprehensive framework for brain energy dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a logistic "cerebral supply chain" model for brain energy metabolism.
To analyze brain energy supply, demand, and need under psychosocial stress.
To integrate experimental data into an economic supply-and-demand framework.

Main Methods:

Development of a logistic "cerebral supply chain" model.
Analysis of experimental data on brain energy metabolism during psychosocial stress.
Assessment of glucose fluxes and eating behavior post-stress.

Main Results:

The brain actively demands more energy from the body during psychosocial stress.
Psychosocial stress induces "cerebral insulin suppression" to redirect glucose to the brain.
Post-stress, increased carbohydrate intake is observed, independent of taste preference.

Conclusions:

The "selfish brain" model effectively describes energy resource allocation under stress.
Cerebral insulin suppression is a key mechanism for maintaining brain energy homeostasis.
The brain's energy demands and regulatory mechanisms are crucial for survival during stress.