Scientific Reason You Can Eat Dessert on a Full Stomach

That old saying "make sure you leave room for dessert" isn't really necessary after all.

It doesn't matter how much pasta you just ate or how many servings of chips, salsa, and guac you inhaled; if the right dessert comes along, you have room even if you feel stuffed.

I know you've been there. The server comes to your table and asks if you want dessert, and everyone takes a deep sigh and says there's no way. Then someone spots a dessert, and you decide, why not?

According to the New Atlas website, it's called "dessert stomach," and it's all about your brain on sugar.

While your brain is transmitting the "I'm too full to eat anymore" signal, another part of your brain that's all about rewards and feel-good endorphins can merely think sugar, and all of a sudden, you're no longer full IF sugar is involved.

According to the Henry Ford Health website, this scientific phenomenon is real, even if the term "dessert stomach" doesn't sound very scientific. Introducing sugary, sweet food flavors ignites new senses. According to New Atlas, that's when your reward section of the brain and the feel-good dopamine moment kick in.

Intriguingly, the researchers found that this pleasure pathway was only activated by sugary foods after a meal, while it stays silent with normal or fatty foods. From an evolutionary perspective, this makes sense: sugar is rare in nature, but provides quick energy. The brain is programmed to control the intake of sugar whenever it is available.”

 

According to the Daily Mail, the scientific evidence behind this is something called 'sensory-specific satiety. ' Basically, the more we eat something, the less we want it after a while, whether we're feeling full or not. However, a new taste, texture, or flavor overrides feeling full.