Food Research As Related To The Brain

The distinction between foods and drugs remains difficult to establish. According to 2011 review in "Current Pharmaceutical Design," food addicts -- just like drug addicts -- show symptoms of dependence, tolerance and withdrawal. That's because food affects the brain and changes behavior. Each type of food product and each type of food ingredient has a unique effect on the nervous system. Some of these effects are positive, and some are negative, so consult a doctor before changing your diet.

Chocolate Reduces Fatigue

Fatigue plays a role in most major accidents, according to a 2006 article in the "American Journal of Industrial Medicine." Increases in fatigue -- and increases in sleepiness -- also affect your life each day. Choosing the right foods can overcome these negative changes. An investigation published in the 2010 edition of the "Nutrition Journal" looked at the impact of chocolate on fatigue. Women and men with chronic fatigue received either chocolate or a placebo for eight weeks. They returned to the laboratory two weeks later for another eight-week session with the opposite condition. Chocolate reduced fatigue relative to placebo. It also improved depression and anxiety scores. The patients did not show allergic reactions to the chocolate.

Fat Changes Appetite

People have become increasingly concerned about the amount of fat they ingest. Eating fatty foods can make you feel full and less likely to eat more, according to the 2010 book "Fat Detection." Yet that finding depends on what kind of fat you eat. An experiment described in the 2000 volume of the "British Journal of Nutrition" evaluated volunteers' satiety after ingesting different kinds of fat. Monounsaturated fats are the least saturated and most healthy, while saturated fats are the most saturated and least healthy. Polyunsaturated fats fall in between. Women and men received a meal containing one of these three fats. Polyunsaturated fats -- present in nuts and fish -- produced the greatest feelings of fullness.

Diet Affects Sleep

Many children and adults do not sleep well at night. The mechanisms behind insomnia remain unknown, but diet may play a role. According to a 2006 report in "Sleep," having a higher body weight correlates well with having poorer sleep quality. It is not clear, however, whether simply being overweight produces poor sleep or whether the habits associated with obesity cause insomnia. A study offered in the 2010 edition of the same journal assessed the influence of carbohydrate and fat intake on sleep duration. The authors interviewed healthy adolescents about their diet and sleep habits. Children with lower carbohydrate intake and greater fat intake had shorter sleep durations. Kids who consumed a lot of snacks also had poorer sleep quality.

Eggs Increase Libido

Men have searched for effective and safe aphrodisiacs for thousands of years. Medieval healers used exotic substances to increase libido, but modern researchers have yet to document these alleged effects. Cocoa, according to a 2009 review in "Nutrition," can increase sexual performance. However, more research on cocoa products such as chocolate remains necessary. A clinical trial presented in the 1997 volume of the "International Journal of Medical Research" tested another traditional remedy -- fertilized hens eggs. Patients with low libido ingested a pill containing these eggs twice a day for three weeks. Each man also received a placebo during a separate three-week session. Relative to the placebo, the egg extract improved sexual desire in 84 percent of the subjects tested.