Gut neuropod cells sensing sugar send signals via the vagus nerve to the brain, triggering dopamine release and promoting sugar cravings.

“What is surprising, however, is the presence of particular types of neurons that reside near or in the mucosal lining just next to that lumen of the gut and that are paying attention, and I'll explain what I mean by paying attention, to the components of the gut, both the nutrients and the microbiota, and thereby can send signals up to the brain by way of a long wire that we call an axon, and can communicate what the chemistry and what the nutritional quality and what the other aspects of the environment are at the gut at a given location up to the brain in ways that can influence the brain to, for instance, seek out more of a particular food.”

“when we ingest sugar, these neuropod cells respond to that sugar and send electrical signals up a little wire that we call an axon through the vagus nerve, for those of you that want to know, and into the brain, and through subsequent stations of neural processing, evoke the release of dopamine. Dopamine is a molecule known to promote craving and motivation and indeed action, and what these neuropod cells that send sugar are thought to do is to promote seeking and consumption, eating of more sugary foods.”

“We all have neurons within our gut. These neurons have a name, they're called neuropod cells. Neuropod cells were famously discovered by Professor, Dr. Diego Bohorquez at Duke University. And these cells respond to, among other things, to the presence of sugar within the gut.”

“this leaves us with a picture of the gut sensing cells these neurop pod cells as exquisitely sensitive to amino acid content in our Foods”

“the gut has neurons that signal through the Vegas up through a little relay called the noo gangling if you want to look at it fun um fun name and then up to the dopaminergic centers of the brain which make us oh when we eat something that has a high um essential amino acid content like a steak like a really tasty steak the neurons in the gut in a way that is independent of taste are signal in to the brain ah I'm getting essential amino acids you should eat more of this thing”

“When you eat something sweet, within your stomach, you have cells, neurons that sense the presence of sugary foods independent of their taste and signal to the brain. So those sensors, those neurons send information up the vagus to your brain, goes through a series of stations. And then you release dopamine, this molecule that makes you want more of whatever it is that you just ingested.”

“you have neurons in your gut that are sensing sugar and are sending a subconscious signal up to the brain via the vagus nerve and those neurons trigger the release of dopamine which makes you crave more of that food”

“And these particular neurons send electrical signals up into the brain through a little passage that we call the noo's ganglia. The Nooto's ganglia is a a cluster of neurons that then go fur send up their own process into the brain and trigger the release of dopamine which is a molecule that inspires motivation, reward, and more seeking for whatever it is led to their activation.”

“so when they detect glucose or amino acids fatty acids so that would be carbohydrate fat protein they get the concentration and they start sending signals up your vagus nerve up to your brain stem and from there it gets distributed to many parts of your brain but um a particularly relevant part is the parts of your brain that have to do with dopamine release onto your reward centers”

“so we have dedicated sensors in the digestive tract this this is all pretty recent research since 2018 they discovered these cells that they named neuropod cells in the small intestine primarily that have receptors for specific nutrients that are directly these cells are directly hooked up to vagal neurons”

“this is all pretty recent research since 2018 um they discovered these cells that they named neurop pod cells in the small intestine primarily that have um receptors for specific nutrients that are directly these cells are directly hooked up to vagal neurons so when they detect glucose or amino acids fatty acids so that would be carbohydrate fat protein they get the concentration and they start sending signals up your vagus nerve up to your brain stem and from there it gets distributed to many parts of your brain but um particularly relevant part is the parts of your brain that uh have to do with dopamine release onto your reward centers”