London: Want to stay slim. Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables daily to resist the temptation of waist- expanding treats which can make one obese, according to a new study led by an Indian-origin researcher.
The lack of glucose - which is used to power the brain - make people helpless against their urge to reach for high- calorie foods, the researchers said.
Obese people are particularly vulnerable, with even the slightest in glucose prompting irresistible cravings for carbohydrates, from which people get most of their sugar.
These can be "good" carbs, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, brown rice and pasta and wholemeal bread, or "bad" varieties which include white bread and sugar, fizzy drinks, cakes, crisps and other packet snacks.
Making sure the brain`s glucose levels do not could be the secret to staying slim, according to the a study published in the `Journal of Clinical Investigation`.
Eating less and often could lower the chance of succumbing to temptation of high-calorie foods, particularly for obese people, the researchers said.
Prof Sinha said: "The key seems to be eating healthy foods that maintain glucose levels. The brain needs its food." In the study, volunteers were given injections of glucose and their brains were scanned while they were shown pictures of high and low calorie foods, as well as other objects.
When glucose levels were lower, two areas of the brain which regulate pleasure prompted the desire to eat while the prefrontal cortex - which gives people self-control - lost its ability to control the impulses.
Prof Rajita Sinha and colleagues at Yale University say when supplies of glucose - found in carbohydrates - drop, people begin to lose their ability to control desire, while their urge to eat increases, `The Daily Telegraph` reported.
The lack of glucose - which is used to power the brain - make people helpless against their urge to reach for high- calorie foods, the researchers said.
Obese people are particularly vulnerable, with even the slightest in glucose prompting irresistible cravings for carbohydrates, from which people get most of their sugar.
These can be "good" carbs, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, brown rice and pasta and wholemeal bread, or "bad" varieties which include white bread and sugar, fizzy drinks, cakes, crisps and other packet snacks.
Making sure the brain`s glucose levels do not could be the secret to staying slim, according to the a study published in the `Journal of Clinical Investigation`.
Eating less and often could lower the chance of succumbing to temptation of high-calorie foods, particularly for obese people, the researchers said.
Prof Sinha said: "The key seems to be eating healthy foods that maintain glucose levels. The brain needs its food." In the study, volunteers were given injections of glucose and their brains were scanned while they were shown pictures of high and low calorie foods, as well as other objects.
When glucose levels were lower, two areas of the brain which regulate pleasure prompted the desire to eat while the prefrontal cortex - which gives people self-control - lost its ability to control the impulses.