Brain, guilty of tobacco addiction?

• April 19, 2024

According to figures from National Institute of Statistics and Geography , the average age at which Mexicans start smoking is at 17 years old. This shows that neither the legal, preventive and information measures have managed to stop the growth of this evil, and this may be due to a part of our body that not only gives us life but can also be the cause of the Addiction to tobacco : brain.

Or at least it is what a study carried out by the University of California , who discovered areas of the brain that trigger the sensation of anxiety or the need to consume tobacco.

The research, which was led by the specialist Antoine Bechara and published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , revealed the physiological bases that exist in the sensation that the anxiety in the human body gives off; example, the lack of self-control.

Through an MRI scan, the brain of habitual smokers was scanned while watching videos of people smoking and doing other actions. However, before the test, half of the group was informed that they could smoke immediately after the end of the exercise; the rest was told that they could only do it after four hours.

When analyzing the brain activity of the volunteers, the scientists found that the middle orbitofrontal cortex, a superficial area of ​​the brain located above the eyes, is activated by watching videos related to smoking and generates a greater state of anxiety in the person, if she is aware that he can smoke immediately.

This discovery suggests that the real key to dealing with addition to tobacco It is in the brain. However, we still need to develop effective measures that help to fight this disease in a neuronal way.

But all is not lost, the Mexican Institute of Social Security It suggests that if measures are taken such as carrying out a physical activity and changing eating habits, it can be prevented and, to a certain extent, diminish the Addiction to tobacco

Follow us on @GetQoralHealth, GetQoralHealth on Facebook and on YouTube

Do you want to lose weight? Sign up with us and enjoy the new GetQoralHealth tool

Video Medicine: Let's Light Up! What you don't know about tobacco (April 2024).