Health Conundrum:  Do Free Radicals Suppress Your Appetite?
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 By: Byron J. Richards, Board
Certified Clinical Nutritionist Listen to Byron Explain This
Week's Health Podcast >  I like to think that my efforts to
educate everyone make you smarter and healthier as a result. 
Try this puzzle on for size:  A new study in mice that were made
obese by constant overeating shows that there are fewer free
radicals in the hypothalamus of their brains, fueling brain
circuits that reinforce cravings.  When free radical levels are
increased, then cravings are reduced.  Unfortunately, when free
radicals are increased more brain damage occurs.  “It’s a
catch-22,” said senior author Tamas Horvath, “On one hand, you
must have these critical signaling molecules to stop eating. On
the other hand, if exposed to them chronically, free radicals
damage cells and promote aging.”  If you understand why then you
are smarter than the researchers who did the study.  Let me give
you some more clues.  The hypoth