Brain In The News

Ice Cream Can Control Your Brain

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September 25, 2009

By Daniel G. Amen, MD      

Have you ever told yourself you were only going to eat a couple bites of ice cream only to wolf down an entire pint — or more — of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey? If so, you probably thought you simply had no control over what you were eating… and you could be right. According to new research, ice cream can control your brain. A fascinating new study in _The Journal of Clinical Investigation_ has found that a certain fat found in foods like ice cream, burgers, and cheese can hijack your brain and trick it into telling your body to continue eating more than you should... for up to three days! The brain sends out messages to your body’s cells to ignore the usual signals from the appetite hormones leptin and insulin that tell you when to stop eating. The researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas pinpointed a certain type of fat called palmitic acid that changes your brain chemistry quickly and leads to overeating. It is found in things like butter, milk, cheese, and beef. It explains why so many of us tend to overeat when we have things like burgers, pizza, and ice cream. In previous blogs, I have written about how high-fat foods can lead to short-term memory loss and sluggishness. This study offers yet another reason why high-fat foods are bad for your brain and body. For a better brain and body, limit foods that are high in saturated fat. To your brain health, Daniel

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