SHR # 2516 :: How does sugar drive consumption? Scientists discover gut-brain sugar sensor in mice PLUS More Problems With The Lock-down - Dr. Alexander Sisti, MD/PhD Candidate - People love to say sugar-is-addictive, and while it is not addictive in there clinical sense of the word, it definitely has an effect on desire and consumption. Artificial sweeteners have never fully succeeded in impersonating sugar. Now, a Columbia University study in mice has identified a brain mechanism that may explain why. In a scientific first, researchers have shown that the brain responds not only when sugar touches the tongue but also when it enters the gut. Their discovery of this specialized gut-brain circuit offers new insight into the way the brain and body evolved to seek out sugar. And because artificial sweeteners do not activate this circuit, the study also offers compelling evidence as to why these sweeteners are never quite as satisfying as the real thing. PLUS Some of the signs the lock-down is causing more problems.