The smell and sight of a meal stimulate short-lived inflammatory response in the brain

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Other: American Association for the Advancement of Science

The mere sight of a meal triggers an inflammatory response in the brain

Even before carbohydrates reach the bloodstream, the very sight and smell of a meal trigger the release of insulin. For the first time, researchers from the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, have shown that this insulin release depends on a short-term inflammatory response that takes place in these circumstances. In overweight individuals, however, this inflammatory response is so excessive that it can impair insuli…