So we've essentially purified these palatability factors that are the things that our brains are kind of looking for . We're kind of hardwired to look for these properties and food . We're hardwired to look for calorie density , to look for carbohydrate , to look for fat , to look for sugar .
And it turns out that our ancestors just weren't as good as we are at getting all those things all in a single meal . Their food was a lot simpler and that's kind of like what our brains are adapted to . They're not adapted to being hit with a sledge hammer of these um compelling food properties at every meal .
They're not adapted to being hit with a sledge hammer of these um compelling food properties at every meal . And you know , these things , I , I won't get too deep into the neurobiology of it , but these food properties cause dopamine to be released by the brain , which is a , a reinforcement signal that reinforces motivation and behavior . And if you get excessive dopamine release , for example , co by cocaine or especially crack cocaine or methamphetamine or heroin , excessive dopamine release leads to um all the behaviors associated with drug seeking being prioritized over everything else in your life .
So these are extremely deeply seated uh brain adaptations . So we've essentially purified these palatability factors that are the things that our brains are kind of looking for . We're kind of hardwired to look for these properties and food .
You can put it in their cage and they will completely ignore it . And instead they will eat chips and cookies and salami and , and peanut butter and whatever , you know , fruit loops , whatever palatable calorie , dense foods you put in there and we diverged from rodents evolutionarily tens of millions of years ago . So , whatever these pathways are that are operating that are causing us to overeat , they're extremely ancient .
