Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026
12:09
Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
Published on: March 19, 2014
Nutropioids, hedonism in the gut?
Paul T Pfluger1, Sonja C Schriever, Matthias H Tschöp
1Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany. paul.pfluger@helmholtz-muenchen.de
Cell Metabolism
|August 14, 2012
Summary
The brain
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gastroenterology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- The brain's opioid system regulates eating behaviors.
- Food-derived opioid peptides (nutropioids) were investigated for their role in the gut.
Discussion:
- Duraffourd et al. (2012) showed that food compounds activate gut μ-opioid receptors.
- This activation initiates a gut-brain signaling pathway.
Key Insights:
- Direct activation of gut μ-opioid receptors by nutropioids.
- A gut-brain feedback loop enhancing satiety was identified.
Outlook:
- Further research into nutropioid signaling could reveal new appetite control strategies.
- Understanding gut-brain interactions may offer novel therapeutic targets for obesity and eating disorders.
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