Your Brain on Food: How Chemicals Control Your Thoughts and FeelingsWhy is eating chocolate so pleasurable? Can the function of just one small group of chemicals really determine whether you are happy or sad? Does marijuana help to improve your memory in old age? Is it really best to drink coffee if you want to wake up and be alert? Why is a drug like PCP potentially lethal? Why does drinking alcohol make you drowsy? Do cigarettes help to relieve anxiety? What should you consume if you are having trouble staying in your chair and focusing enough to get your work done? Why do treatments for the common cold make us drowsy? Can eating less food preserve your brain? What are the possible side effects of pills that claim to make your smarter? Why is it so hard to stop smoking? Why did witches once believe that they could fly? In this book, Gary Wenk demonstrates how, as a result of their effects on certain neurotransmitters concerned with behavior, everything we put into our bodies has very direct consequences for how we think, feel, and act. The chapters introduce each of the main neurotransmitters involved with behavior, discuss its role in the brain, present some background on how it is generally turned on and off, and explain ways to influence it through what we consume. |
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Your Brain on Food: How Chemicals Control Your Thoughts and Feelings
User Review - Book VerdictIn his second edition, Wenk (psychology & neuroscience; molecular virology, immunology & medical genetics, Ohio State Univ. and Medical Ctr.) deepens his exploration of the impact of food and drugs on ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - heike6 - LibraryThingThe title and the cover are completely misleading. Pretty much the only thing about foods (with the exception of coffee and chocolate) the author said was that the amounts of certain chemicals are not ... Read full review
Contents
FOOD DRUGS AND YOU | 1 |
CHAPTER 2 MEMORIES MAGIC A MAJOR ADDICTION | 23 |
CHAPTER 3 EUPHORIA DEPRESSION MADNESS | 51 |
CHAPTER 4 YOUR BRAINS ANCHOR TO REALITY | 81 |
CHAPTER 5 MARIJUANA IN THE BRAIN | 97 |
CHAPTER 6 SIMPLE MOLECULES THAT TURN YOU ON AND OFF | 107 |
CHAPTER 7 SLEEPING VERSUS WAKING | 123 |
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Your Brain on Food: How Chemicals Control Your Thoughts and Feelings Gary Lee Wenk Limited preview - 2014 |
Common terms and phrases
ability acetyl acetylcholine neurons action addiction alcohol Alzheimer’s disease amino acid amphetamine anxiety arousal barbiturates behavior block blood brain and body brain function brain regions caffeine cannabinoid cannabis cells Chapter chemicals choline coca cocaine coffee cognitive compounds consume contain cortex craving depression diet dopamine neurons doses drink drugs eating endogenous enter the brain enzyme euphoria example experience feeding tube feel frontal lobes GABA receptors gingko gingko biloba glutamate hallucinations hallucinogenic heroin hippocampus impair inactivation increase influence ingest inhibition intentionally left blank levels marijuana memory mescaline molecules morphine muscarinic muscles mushroom neural neurons neuropeptides neurotrans neurotransmitter neurotransmitter system nicotine norepinephrine normal one’s opiates pain Parkinson’s disease patients pills placebo effect potential produce prostaglandins proteins psychosis reduce release role rotransmitter scientists scopolamine sensory serotonin neurons serotonin receptors side effects similar slow smoking species stimulants substances sugar sympathetic nervous system symptoms synapse thujone tion tobacco underlie urine