Addicted to... Protein?

Addicted to... Protein?

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Researchers investigating this addiction "switch" have now implicated a naturally occurring protein, a dose of which allowed them to get rats hooked with no drugs at all. ... The Toronto team noted that a single injection of BDNF made rats behave as though they were dependent on opiates (which they had never received). Though rats instinctively prefer certain smells, lighting and texture, these rats left their comfort zone in search of a fix.

Does any one else find this a little unsettling? Is this something they could potentially put into our food, medication, or even water? The thoughts of being addicted to something without a drug or even a choice involved really bothers me....

(Hope this wasn't posted already! Did a quick search with no results, if it has been, sorry!)

They probably put drugs in the water supply of people the police target to get them to do things. I gave up drinking my tap water because of this. I do not do drugs, and i know the tap water sends me to sleep.

So they most definately put stuff in the water to get people hooked on stuff.

The first paragraph of the article is quite misleading: the BDNF substance was injected directly into a specific part of the brain. While the BDNF might not be a drug, it would not work when ingested (or injected into the bloodstream) because it has to act as a moderator on the neurotransmitters in the reward circuitry of the brain.

So until they lodge a big tube in the back of our heads, this substance won't harm us

Probably added to everyday foodstuffs like aspartame is to get you hooked and buying yet more products, your probably hooked and you don't even realise because all the stuff your hooked on tastes really nice .

Wow thats a lot of hooks. come on little fishies , time for a bite.

Other articles point to new treatments for alcoholism, but I don't know about the site in general.

There are "related links" to stories about HIV/AIDS and narcotic addiction, which affect only small segments of the population. In general, that site seems to be full of questionable mainstream science stories, like "myths about swine flu."

I don't know how reliable the information is, but there is more then just this one article about it.

Anyway, Looks like I did slightly misunderstand, after researching a little more apparently BDNF doesn't cross the blood barrier, but antidepressants have been shown to increase it. So I guess that answered my question about medications. Seems they don't need to put it into them, some themselves elevate it, which makes sense.

I wonder how safe are antidepressants that could lead to feelings of addiction when not taken. Sure, it might help addicts who may no longer have to live with their real addiction.. but what about those taking the same things for depression... What happens when they stop taking the medication? Will/Does it lead to even higher numbers of people with addictions?