#alternate alternate A to Z Terms of Use For a better experience on your device, try our mobile site. BBC Accessibility links * Skip to content * Skip to local navigation * Accessibility Help BBC iD Sign in BBC navigation * News * Sport * Weather * Earth * Future * Shop * TV * Radio * More… Search term: ____________________ (BUTTON) Search BBC News Health * Home * UK * Africa * Asia * Australia * Europe * Latin America * Mid-East * US & Canada * Business * Health * Sci/Environment * Tech * Entertainment * Video 2 September 2014 Last updated at 07:53 GMT Share this page * Delicious * Digg * Facebook * reddit * StumbleUpon * Twitter * Email * Print Brain 'can be trained to prefer healthy food' Woman choosing between salad or chips Continue reading the main story Related Stories * Research examines eating habits * Can healthy eating be forced on children? * Can a brain workout 'change your age'? The brain can be trained to prefer healthy food over unhealthy high-calorie foods, using a diet which does not leave people hungry, suggests a study from the US. Scientists from Tufts University say food addictions can be changed in this way even if they are well-established. They scanned the addiction centre in the brains of a small group of men and women. Continue reading the main story “Start Quote We don't start out in life loving French fries and hating, for example, whole wheat pasta.” End Quote Prof Susan B Roberts Tufts University The results showed increased cravings for healthy lower-calorie foods. Prof Susan B Roberts, senior study author and behavioural nutrition scientist at the Boston university, said: "We don't start out in life loving French fries and hating, for example, wholewheat pasta. "This conditioning happens over time in response to eating - repeatedly - what is out there in the toxic food environment." Scientists know that once people are addicted to unhealthy foods, it is usually very hard to change their eating habits and get them to lose weight. But Prof Roberts' research, published in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes, suggests the brain can learn to like healthy foods. They studied the part of the brain linked to reward and addiction in 13 overweight and obese men and women, eight of whom were taking part in a specially designed weight-loss programme. MRI scan of the brain Scans of the brain's reward centre showed that food preferences had changed This focused on changing food preferences by prescribing a diet high in fibre and protein, and low in carbohydrates, but which did not allow participants to become hungry because this is when food cravings take over and unhealthy food becomes attractive. The other five adults were not part of the weight-loss programme. Continue reading the main story “Start Quote There is much more research to be done here, involving many more participants and long-term follow-up.” End Quote Prof Susan Roberts When their brains were scanned using MRI at the start and end of a six-month period, those following the programme showed changes in the brain's reward centre. When participants were shown pictures of different types of food, it was the healthy, low-calorie foods which produced an increased reaction. The study said this indicated an increased reward and enjoyment of healthier food. The brain's reward centre also showed decreased sensitivity to the unhealthy, higher-calorie foods. The Boston researchers say that gastric bypass surgery, while solving the problem of weight loss, can take away food enjoyment rather than make healthier foods more appealing. "There is much more research to be done here, involving many more participants, long-term follow-up and investigating more areas of the brain," Prof Roberts said. More on This Story Related Stories * Research examines eating habits 27 JANUARY 2014, SCOTLAND * Can healthy eating be forced on children? 18 JULY 2014, US & CANADA * Can a brain workout 'change your age'? 07 FEBRUARY 2013, MAGAZINE * Do hunger hormones make us fat? 20 MARCH 2012, HEALTH Related Internet links * Nutrition & Diabetes * Tufts University The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites Share this page * Delicious * Digg * Facebook * reddit * StumbleUpon * Twitter * Email * Print More Health stories RSS * Exercise can help reduce the chance of heart disease, cancer and diabetes Exercise advice is 'unrealistic' Researchers say current exercise guidelines are unrealistic and argue doctors should promote small increases in activity instead. * UK cigarette package law brought forward * Global soil hunt for new drugs Top Stories * Kurdish peshmerga fighter keeps watch during battle with Islamic State on outskirts of Mosul, Iraq. 21 Jan 2015 Anti-IS coalition meets in London * Ukraine bus stop shelling kills nine * Monk's 'sexist insult' angers UN * ECB set to launch huge QE programme * Prince Andrew to host Davos reception Features & Analysis * Churchill statue, Westerham Complex leader The greatest controversies of Winston Churchill's career ______________________________________________________________ * Anne Hidalgo Paris v Fox Can a city sue a TV channel for defamation? ______________________________________________________________ * Construction of the second Suez Canal 'Channel of prosperity' Can Egypt refloat economy with a new Suez Canal? ______________________________________________________________ * File pic of Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel (Nov 2014) Banging heads Serbia offers to sort out EU row with Russia ______________________________________________________________ Most Popular Shared 1. 1: 'The year I lost my limbs was the most brilliant of my life' 2. 2: Windows 10 to be free and get headset 3. 3: Sun's topless Page Three 'returns' 4. 4: Monk's 'sexist insult' angers UN 5. 5: Cigarette package law brought forward Read 1. 1: 'The year I lost my limbs was the most brilliant of my life' 2. 2: Monk's 'sexist insult' angers UN 3. 3: The 10 greatest controversies of Winston Churchill's career 4. 4: Ukraine bus stop shelling kills nine 5. 5: Sun's topless Page Three 'returns' 6. 6: Anti-IS coalition to meet in London 7. 7: Pop star Rihanna wins image battle 8. 8: Exercise advice is 'unrealistic' 9. 9: Windows 10 to be free and get headset 10. 10: Real stay top of football rich list Video/Audio 1. 2: #FreeSpeechStories: The limits of Spanish humour Watch 2. 3: Japan's incredible shrinking building Watch 3. 4: Cat survives six weeks in chimney Watch 4. 5: 'Dead' seagull returns to cricket pitch Watch 5. 6: Is this the goal of the year? Watch 6. 7: Trailer park living for America's poor Watch 7. 8: One-minute World News Watch 8. 9: Sold by father for drugs for $1000 Watch 9. 10: CCTV of eye-loss attack released Watch BBC Future (Getty Images) Why exactly does spicy food burn? And more tastes that trick your tongue Read more... Programmes * Skydiving in a wind tunnel The Travel Show Watch Skydiving indoors with a wind speed of 175mph in the world’s biggest wind tunnel Services * Mobile * Connected TV * News feeds * Alerts * E-mail news About BBC News * Editors' blog * BBC College of Journalism * News sources * Media Action * Editorial Guidelines BBC links * + Mobile site + Terms of Use + About the BBC * + Advertise With Us + Privacy + Accessibility Help * + Ad Choices + Cookies + Contact the BBC * + Parental Guidance BBC Copyright © 2015 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.