All articles tagged with #sensory nutrition
New mouse study suggests the dry, astringent sensation of flavanols found in foods like cocoa and berries can directly signal the brain, activating attention, learning, and memory pathways through sensory nerves and stress systems—producing effects similar to a mild workout—despite flavanols' low bloodstream presence. This points to sensory nutrition as a potential way to design foods that couple taste with brain benefits.
Researchers propose that dietary flavanols may boost brain function not mainly through absorption, but via their astringent taste signaling sensory pathways that activate central nervous system and stress responses. In mice, flavanols increased wakefulness, attention, and learning by triggering hypothalamic CRH neurons and boosting noradrenaline and dopamine activity in the locus coeruleus and connected regions, with downstream effects on mood, arousal, and memory. This points to a sensory-nutrition mechanism and potential for designing foods that leverage taste signals to support cognitive function.