A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience has established the brain area associated with cravings for protein.
Carried out by the University of Aberdeen and Leicester, researchers experimented on rodents, providing them a low protein diet.
The researchers uncovered that when given a low protein diet, the ventral tegmental area within the brain became most active during the consumption of protein-riched foods.
“We found that protein restriction increased preference for protein enriched food over carbohydrate,” according to researchers.
“Our findings are hugely significant as protein intake is essential for life. We need protein and amino acids for numerous biological processes and the only way is through food intake. So, it is important to understand how the brain drives our behaviors according to our current needs.”
“Our study is the first linking changes in protein preference and specific brain activity. The VTA is known to play a central role in motivation processes for other nutrients and we show here it is also the case for protein.”
