Brain-gut imaging of fat intake
What happens when we eat fatty foods?
Photo by Carlos Rabada on Unsplash
Lead researcher: Dr Sally Eldeghaidy
Appetite and satiety are regulated in the central nervous system through bidirectional interactions between the brain and gut, the 'brain-gut axis'. Dietary fat is a fundamental contributor to the palatability of food, but high fat foods are often overeaten, leading to weight gain and obesity.
In this project, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques will be developed to allow us, for the first time, to combine brain and gut MR imaging in a single MRI scan session. This will give us a full picture of what happens inside the body after we eat. The study will reveal what happens in the brain and gut and the interactions between them when people consume high fat meals. The findings could provide a possible explanation for why some people are heavier than others. Our findings will also be useful for those people who have altered eating behaviour, particularly gastrointestinal and liver disorders.
Funded by the Future Food Beacon and an Anne McLaren Research Fellowship