New Delhi, November 20 (IANS). It is common for food cravings to increase in winter, but some scientific research suggests that the reason behind this is not only the cold or the festive environment, but also some hormones and genes.
As soon as the temperature falls, hunger suddenly increases, the desire to eat sweets increases and fried things start looking more attractive than before. According to scientists, during the winter season, our body’s metabolism, hormones and genes go into a different state, which gives priority to energy storage.
Research conducted on some rats suggests that food cravings are influenced by genes. Research has identified special genes like PRKAR2A which control the craving for sweet and fatty foods. Other genes, such as the dopamine pathway (DRD2) and taste receptors (TAS2R38), have also been linked to food cravings and addiction. Genetic variations can also affect how people perceive the taste of something.
Researchers believe that when temperatures are low, the body burns more energy to maintain its temperature. This energy consumption signals the brain that it needs extra calories. This is when certain genes—which are usually silent in summer—become active. These genes increase hunger-inducing hormones like ghrelin and reduce the satiety hormone leptin. The result is that the person feels the urge to eat more, especially high-carb and high-fat items, because such food provides instant energy and heat to the body.
According to a report published in the journal Nature in 2023 titled “The xiphoid nucleus of the midline thalamus controls cold-induced food seeking”, a part of the brain gets activated in cold and increases appetite. A 2019 study looked at people’s hormones (ghrelin, leptin) and their food intake behavior in environments with different temperatures (e.g. −10 °C). A lot of changes were noticed in this also.
Some research has also found that the body’s circadian rhythm changes due to reduced sunlight. This change has a direct impact on genes that control signals such as food choice and when to eat. This is the reason why many people feel hungry even late at night in winter or feel like eating something again and again. Low light also affects the mood, due to which the craving for comfort food i.e. food that gives instant pleasure to the mind increases.
An interesting aspect of these genes being activated in winter is that this process is believed to be linked to the thousands of years old human evolutionary journey. In ancient times, when there was a shortage of food during cold weather, the body automatically tried to store more energy in such weather. The effect of the same biological tendency is still present in our genes, even though availability of food is no longer as much of a problem as it used to be.
However, modern research also suggests that if a person maintains adequate sleep, light sunlight and regular exercise in winter, these ‘food cravings’ can be reduced to a great extent, because light, physical activity and sleep all three keep the circadian rhythm regular and have a positive effect on the genes signaling hunger.
–IANS
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