Sweet Tooth Worry Overrated

Worried about that sweet tooth and fearing the consequences of over-indulging? Maybe it's best to be cool. New research in Scotland suggests nature has its own safety valve mechanism that will draw you up short.

The study by the University of Dundee says you can take comfort in the fact that the human body appears to have a built-in system that stops you from having too much of a good thing. The research concentrated on the difference between appetites for "special" and "staple" foods.

The researchers found that when a "special" food such as chocolate and a "staple" such as bread and butter were eaten regularly for some time, the body's desire for the staple continued. but its craving for the special food tended to wane. In other words, we still want the bread and butter, but we gradually go off the chocolate.

Scientists believe repeated exposure to sweet tastes renders certain "receptors" in the brain less sensitive to that taste. The result is that the body does exactly what you want it to do -- it cuts down the number of pleasurable foods that you eat, to keep them enjoyable.