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healthy living BEING A RECEIVER OF LOVE BEING A RECEIVER OF LOVE I t should come as no sur- prise that eating pizza is more pleasurable than downing a tasteless nutri- tional drink. But research out of Finland found that both boost the brain's feel- good endorphins. What's more surprising is that although the pizza eat- ers reported more plea- surable feelings than the shake drinkers, brain scans showed the shake stimu- lated more endorphins. But why should this mat- ter? If it feels good do it, in moderation. Well, piz- za might make you hap- pier, but the nutritional drink is more likely to keep you satisfi ed, so less likely to overeat. Consider combining the two, eat a little pizza after a (tasty) nutritional shake. "The opioid system regulates eating and appetite, and we have previously found that its dysfunctions are a hallmark of morbid obe- sity," says Professor Lauri Nummenmaa from Turku PET Centre. "The present results suggest that over- eating may continuously overstimulate the opioid system, thus directly con- tributing to development of obesity. These fi ndings open new opportunities for treating overeating and the development of obesity." R esearch estimates that 30% of cancers may be prevented through diet. In a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, scientists found a 10% increase in obesity-related cancers among women who ate high dietary energy dense foods (DED) vs low DED. DED is a measure of food quality and the relationship of calories to nutrients. High DED foods include processed foods that require high calorie consumption to get the necessary nutrients (e.g. pizza and hamburgers). Low DED foods include whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean pro- tein, and beans that require low- er calorie consumption to get the necessary nutrients. What's important here is weight isn't necessarily cancer-protective on its own. Frequent consumption of high DED foods increases cancer risk among all women, obese or normal weight. Researchers looked at the data of 90,000 post-menopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative, including diet and any diagnosis of cancer. "The demonstrated effect in normal-weight women in rela- tion to risk for obesity-related cancers is novel and contrary to our hypothesis," explained lead investigator Cynthia A. Thom- son, Ph.D., R.D., Professor of Health Promotion Sciences at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health in Tucson, AZ. "This fi nding suggests that weight management alone may not protect against obesity-related cancers should women favor a diet pattern indicative of high energy density." T here's something inexplica- bly satisfying about a cup of coffee and a baked good. The combination feels almost un- controllable. And indeed, it is. Caffeine suppresses adenos- ine receptors, chemicals that in- duce relaxation and sleepiness. This wakes you up but lowers your ability to taste sweetness, which ironically makes you want sweets more. "When you drink caffeinated coffee, it will change how you perceive taste — for however long that effect lasts," explains senior author Robin Dando. Dando, along with lead authors Esan Choo and Benjamin Picket published, "Caffeine May Re- duce Perceived Sweet Taste in Humans, Supporting Evidence That Adenosine Receptors Modulate Taste," in the Journal of Food Science. Another interesting fi nding was when researchers measured perceived alertness after sub- jects blindly consumed either caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee (they didn't know which one they drank), the decaffein- ated subjects reported the same level of increased alertness as the caffeinated subjects. "We think there might be a placebo or a conditioning effect to the simple action of drinking coffee," said Dando. "Think Pavlov's dog. The act of drinking coffee — with the aroma and taste — is usually followed by alertness. So the panelists felt alert even if the caffeine was not there," reported Dando. By Laura Owens Rock Body YOUR PIZZA PLEASURABLE, BUT NUTRITIONAL DRINKS SATIATE QUALITY FOOD LOWERS CANCER RISK IN WOMEN CAFFEINE TRIGGERS SWEET CRAVING October/November 2017 13