Stress activates in the brain a hormonal mechanism that would make people feel more likely to eat sweets, consuming drugs, and playing hazard games, according to an article published by BMC Biology magazine. Jent Berrdge, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, said “this is one of the main reasons why people living with stress eat excessively, gamble on casinos, and look for some other hedonistic satisfactions.

In order to explain his discovery, the scientist said “the chemical substance of stress activates the cerebral mechanism and drives the brain mad, making it wish all sorts of pleasant objects and activities.

Researchers from the University of Michigan and Georgetown (Washington, USA), carried out a study with rats, injecting corticotrophin in their brain, at similar levels human beings experiment when they are subject to psychological or physical stress.

The corticotrophin is secreted by the hypothalamus and transported through the porta-system to the front portion of the pituitary gland, where it stimulates the liberation of corticotrophin. This hormone activates the secretion of corticoids in the suprarenal cortex, through the union of specific receptors in the adrenal cells.

“The cerebral substance of stress tripled the intensity of wish for food with high levels of sugar, compared to the desires caused by indicators of those sweets”, assured Berridge. These results explain why people suffering from stress are more likely to behave compulsively.