
by Milos Pokimica
When we see a hamburger, it is supernormal stimuli. Primal urges affect our behavior forcing us into binge eating disorder.
Milos Pokimica
When we see a hamburger, it is supernormal stimuli, or when we see any food item that does not exist in that form in nature especially if it combines any form of fat and carbohydrates or regular sugar together it is supernormal stimuli. Primal urges or instincts affect our behavior and our reptilian brain and basically control us more than we would like to admit forcing us into binge eating disorder.
Extremely sweet or fatty food that we have today but were not present in nature, captivates the brain reward circuit in much the same way that cocaine and gambling can do. Even just seeing the food will trigger the brain’s response. As quickly as such food meets the tongue, taste buds give signals to different areas of the brain. That will result in a response that will trigger the release of the neurochemical dopamine. Frequently overeating highly palatable foods saturate the cerebellum with a significant amount of dopamine that forces the brain to ultimately adjusts by desensitizing itself, decreasing the number of cellular receptors that identify and respond to the neurochemical. High and constant dopamine level is the form of stimulus that is over-excessive, something called supernormal stimuli.

There is a problem with conditioning too. When you spend years working on that promotion or spend years in college and finally get that job or diploma you feel great. It takes time and effort. But when you go to the fridge and open a bag of chips you feel great too. However, there is a problem. In nature, we would have to work very hard to get that bite, and it was not salted or filled with fat and sugar. Alternatively, when we wanted to find a mate, we had to be able to fight off other males. We would have to work for it hard for any reward. It would take significant time and effort.
However, in the modern era, it is effortless. One phone call to the pizza place and that is it. Instantaneously we can reward ourselves with pleasure no time or effort needed. Moreover, there are drugs, movies, video games, alcohol, and gambling. These things are all forms of instant gratification. There are too easy to obtain, and they provide short bursts of pleasure. This conditioning alters our perception and reconfigures our reward centers in the brain. Modern environmental stimulants may activate instinctive responses that evolved before the modern world. When we can get supernormal stimulation all the time effortlessly our brain downregulates the receptors, and we have a problem, we need more. Also, when we do get more, the brain will downregulate the receptors some more, and we again need more. It becomes an addictive behavior before we overdose.
In the book, Wasteland: The (R)Evolutionary Science Behind Our Weight and Fitness Crisis, Harvard psychologist Deirdre Barrett analyzed very well how junk food triggers exaggerated stimulus to natural cravings for salt, sugar, and fats. The issue is that most regular people are not psychologists and can’t detect this in their own behavior.
Supernormal stimuli exist in nature too. When scientists isolate the traits that can trigger certain instincts like colors or shapes or patterns and then apply them to animals, they go behaving extremely instinctively and outside of normal behavior. Instincts had no bounds. Once the researchers isolate the instinctive trigger, they can create greatly exaggerated dummies that animals would choose instead of the realistic alternative. For example, seeing red male stickleback fish would ignore the real rivals and attack wooden replicas with brightly painted underbellies and be even reacting aggressively when the red postal van passed the lab window. Songbirds would abandon their eggs that are pale blue dappled with gray and sit on black polka-dotted fluorescent blue dummies so big that they would continuously slide off. They would prefer to feed fake baby birds with more full and redder mouths than their real ones and the hatchlings would ignore their parents to beg for food from fake beaks with more dramatic markings.
It is easy to assume that these kinds of behaviors reflect some mistake or manipulation but it is far from the truth. The truth is that this is an entirely evolutionary justifiable action and will contribute to the survival of the species. The big colorful egg is a symbol of health for a bird so her instinct is correct and it is conditioned to force her to spare more of her time to go to sit on a black polka-dotted egg because that egg is having more chances for success hatching. In nature, there are no mistakes only in the human interpretation of nature.
Birds will never be exposed to technology, so the supernormal stimuli are positive conditioning for the survival of the species. In a technologically driven modern environment, it is a different story. We have not been adequately adapted in the evolutional sense to our modern environment, and the consequences are terrible.
For example, obesity is an epidemic, and not just obesity, but most of our other health problems as well. All of the so-called diseases of affluence are physiological maladaptations in essence. Why? Because pleasure-seeking actions in all forms drive most of our behavior. It will make us eat even when we are not hungry in pursuit of pleasure and satisfaction. It will make our brain overstimulated in any possible form and way we can think of. The problem is significant on a population scale and can become even worse in specific individuals that have levels of dopamine receptors that are less expressed. It can make them susceptible to compulsive behavior.
Our physiology is not adapted to be continuously bombarded with supernormal stimuli, to have instant gratification in all forms, never to feel hunger, never to have to do any physical activity, and to have a never-ending stream of animal products, sugar, and fat. We act impulsively, emotionally, and instinctively like most other animals because we are conditioned to do it for survival. Like it or not, in the end, this will have lasting health consequences.
Psychophysical dependence on supernormal stimuli is real. Human beings are evolutionarily conditioned for extreme eating because of the scarcity in nature.
For every animal in existence in nature, hunger is the normal state of being. Alternatively, a constant struggle for food would be more precise. For every animal that lives on this planet, food obsession is a daytime job. Most of the time during their lives animals spend searching for food. There are no supermarkets and cans of ready to eat meals. It is the struggle. Moreover, that was a normal condition for humans even today. Well, at least the body physiology part.

1.Venus of Gagarino, Russia 20,000 BC; 2. Figurine féminine dite manche de poignard de Brassempouy, 23,000 BC; 3. Venus de Losange Italy 25,000 BC; 4. Venus of Tepe Sarab Iran 6500 BC; 5. Neolithic Hassuna Princess „Idol,” 6500-5700 BC Mesopotamia; 6. Malta Venus 4500 BC; 7. Venus of Willendorf Austria 24000 BC; 8. Venus of Moravany Slovakia 23000 BC; 9. Ceramic Figurine of a Woman 5300 BC, The British Museum; 10. Venus from Hohle Fels, Germany 38,000 BC; 11. Cave Ghar Dalam, Malta 5400 BC; 12. Catalhohuk 6000 BC; 13. Venus of Monruz 10,000 BC, Switzerland; 14. Venus of Dolní Vestonice, Czech Republic 29,000 BC; 15. Venus of Anatolia, Turkey 6000 BC; 16. Inanna (Ishtar) Mother Goddess, Mesopotamia 2000 BC.
Our desire and pleasure-seeking behavior are what make us sick. Evolution did not predict electricity and microchips and cars. We are maladapted to our habitat. We have underlined mechanisms that force us to act in an evolutionary protective manner such as overeating food. The not-so-unique obstacle now is that there is no scarcity anymore. Also, even worse, we eat stuff like meat that is not congruent with our physiology. And what is worse we eat it every single meal. And what is even worse we are surrounded by all of the toxic chemicals we never had to deal with in the past, and we do not exercise and move anymore and do not have enough sunlight, and do not have normal relations with other species and other humans. We are technology-dependent, atrophied, and poisoned. We are dependent on our food to be supernormal stimuli and everything around us to be supernormal stimuli. Supernormal is the new normal. Everything has to be supernormal now to be normal. From video games to movies, to drugs to game addiction, to porn addiction, and sex and violence in every frame. Eating kale is not for us anymore. Eating fruit is not for us anymore. The fruit was once upon a time the highest treat we could find in nature. Ultimate dessert. What is fruit today? The hybrid derived from selective breeding is to be sweeter. Had we ever in our life tried real wild fruit without altered genes? Even that over-hybridized variety is no match to pure refined sugar, so we are going to drink colored sugar water like Coke and sodas.
Sources:
Passages selected from a book: “Go Vegan? Review of Science: Part 1” [Milos Pokimica] (p36)
Related Posts
- Facebook11
- Pinterest1
- Blogger
- Gmail
- Viber
- Love This
- Click me for More
- Facebook Messenger
- Skype
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Telegram
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
- Mix
- 31shares
You Might Also Like
Pesticide exposure in American children- Real-life exposure tests
The tale of Big Pharma- Rockefeller monopoly
Fish toxicity- The most toxic meat
Vitamin D- More than just your bones
Chronic diseases and mortality- The real numbers
Raw food diet- The evolutionary perspective
Vitamin D deficiency- Risk Factors
Sulforaphane- The superpower of broccoli
Inflammation and diet- Vegan argument
The Tale of Big Pharma- Bayer (IG Farben), FDA and the AIDS virus

Medical Disclaimer
GoVeganWay.com brings you reviews of the latest nutrition and health-related research. The information provided represents the personal opinion of the author and is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON OR ACCESSED THROUGH GoVeganWay.com
NEVER APPLY ANY LIFESTYLE CHANGES OR ANY CHANGES AT ALL AS A CONSEQUENCE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ IN GoVeganWay.com BEFORE CONSULTING LICENCED MEDICAL PRACTITIONER.
In the event of a medical emergency, call a doctor or 911 immediately. GoVeganWay.com does not recommend or endorse any specific groups, organizations, tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned inside.
Around The Web,
Medicine
Around The Web,
Medicine
-
A high-throughput screening assay for small molecule inhibitors of the antigen aminopeptidase ERAP1
by News Medical Life Science News Feed on January 28, 2023
The January 2023 issue of SLAS Discovery contains a collection of four full-length articles and one technical brief covering cancer research, high-throughput screening (HTS) assay development and other drug discovery exploration.
-
Activated neutrophils can become potent cancer fighters
by News Medical Life Science News Feed on January 28, 2023
Elevated levels of immune cells, called neutrophils, in tumors have been associated with poor outcomes in people with cancer.
-
Jaypirca Approved for Relapsed/Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma
by Diana Ernst, RPh (Medical Bag) on January 27, 2023
As a noncovalent inhibitor of BTK, pirtobrutinib is able to reestablish BTK inhibition in patients previously treated with covalent BTK inhibitors.
-
FDA Approval Updates Enjaymo Indication for Cold Agglutinin Disease
by Diana Ernst, RPh (Medical Bag) on January 27, 2023
Enjaymo is an immunoglobulin G subclass 4 monoclonal antibody.
-
Is At-Home Teeth Whitening Safe?
by Harmeet Gurm (Medical News Bulletin) on January 27, 2023
Medical News Bulletin – Daily Medical News, Health News, Clinical Trials And Clinical Research, Medical Technology, Fitness And Nutrition News–In One Place The desire to whiten teeth has existed for over a century, with hydrogen peroxide being the go-to whitening agent.1 In cosmetic dentistry, teeth whitening is one of the most popular practices.1 Hydrogen peroxide is used in dental offices […]
-
Keytruda Approved as Adjuvant Treatment for Stage IB, II, or IIIA NSCLC
by Diana Ernst, RPh (Medical Bag) on January 27, 2023
The approval was based on data from the KEYNOTE-091 trial.
-
Various Factors Affect the Pancreatic Microbiome Following Pancreatic Surgery
by Kwamesha Joseph (Medical Bag) on January 27, 2023
Researchers examined the relationship between the pancreatic microbiome and patient characteristics as well as the duodenal microbiome.
-
Childhood, Adolescent Cancers Linked to Higher Risk of Major Psychiatric Disorders
by Erin Clancy (Medical Bag) on January 27, 2023
Compared with the general population, survivors of childhood and adolescent cancers have an increased risk of 6 major psychiatric disorders.
-
Gepirone Under Review for Major Depressive Disorder
by Steve Duffy (Medical Bag) on January 27, 2023
Exxua (previously named Travivo) is a novel oral serotonin 1A receptor agonist.
-
Emzahh Gets FDA Approval for Pregnancy Prevention
by Diana Ernst, RPh (Medical Bag) on January 27, 2023
Emzahh is an AB-rated generic equivalent of Ortho Micronor.
-
Researchers identify an unexpected driver of cancer immunotherapy resistance
by News Medical Life Science News Feed on January 27, 2023
A research team from the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has identified an unexpected driver of cancer immunotherapy resistance: the harmful effect of chronic Type I Interferon signaling on tumor-killing CD8+ T cells.
-
Survey: Trust in genetics increased significantly during the pandemic
by News Medical Life Science News Feed on January 27, 2023
A survey of over 2,000 British adults finds that trust in genetics is high and went up significantly during the pandemic. It also finds that there is a hunger for more coverage of genetics.
-
Researchers discover a key role played by ch-TOG protein in the initiation of microtubule assembly
by News Medical Life Science News Feed on January 27, 2023
Microtubules are cellular fibres that are part of the skeleton of the cell, termed cytoskeleton. They ensure that cells maintain their shape, carry out their functions, and divide.
-
FDA Revises Evusheld EUA Halting Use of the COVID-19 Therapy for Now
by Diana Ernst, RPh (Medical Bag) on January 26, 2023
Recent data show that the product is unlikely to be active against currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Latest from PubMed,
#plant-based diet
-
Phosphate Intake and Removal in Predominantly Vegetarian Patients on Twice-Weekly Hemodialysis
by Namrata Sarvepalli Rao on January 27, 2023
-
Self-care and lifestyle interventions of complementary and integrative medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic-A cross-sectional study
by Michael Jeitler on January 26, 2023
-
Use of male-to-female sex reversal as a welfare scoring system in the protandrous farmed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata)
by Paul G Holhorea on January 26, 2023
-
The effect of diet quality on the risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis
by Xiaoxia Gao on January 26, 2023
-
The Climate Change Challenge: How to get research into society through an online workshop
by Laura Müller on January 26, 2023
-
Associations of dietary patterns with obesity and weight change for adults aged 18-65 years: Evidence from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS)
by Yang Chen on January 25, 2023
-
Two a posteriori dietary patterns are associated with risks of hyperuricemia among adults in less-developed multiethnic regions in Southwest China
by Xinyu Wu on January 25, 2023
-
Buffalo milk and rumen fluid metabolome are significantly affected by green feed
by G Neglia on January 25, 2023
-
Metabolic and nutritional biomarkers in adults consuming lacto-ovo vegetarian, vegan and omnivorous diets in Spain. A cross-sectional study
by Elena García-Maldonado on January 23, 2023
-
Protein quality as a complementary functional unit in life cycle assessment (LCA)
by G A McAuliffe on January 23, 2023
-
NEW Soul in the neighborhood-reach and effectiveness of a dissemination and implementation feasibility study
by John A Bernhart on January 23, 2023
-
Interaction between genetics and inulin affects host metabolism in rainbow trout fed a sustainable all plant-based diet
by Jep Lokesh on January 23, 2023
-
Adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet, genetic susceptibility, and risk of type 2 diabetes in Swedish adults
by Shunming Zhang on January 22, 2023
-
Risks and Benefits of Different Dietary Patterns in CKD
by Shivam Joshi on January 22, 2023
-
Plant-based and vegetarian diets: an overview and definition of these dietary patterns
by Shila Minari Hargreaves on January 21, 2023
Latest Articles
Podcast of the day…
Plant Based News
-
‘The Last Of Us’ Star Bella Ramsey Is An Outspoken Advocate For Veganism
el enero 27, 2023
-
‘Put Zebra Meat On The Menu in South Africa,’ Say Scientists
el enero 27, 2023
-
LinkedIn Headquarters Goes Mostly Plant-Based To Reduce Carbon Footprint
el enero 26, 2023
-
‘Pet’ Tiger Killed After Escaping Enclosure And Attacking Man In South Africa
el enero 26, 2023
-
WATCH: Earthling Ed On The Lies, Myths, And Misinformation Of Animal Agriculture
el enero 26, 2023
-
WATCH: Plant-Based Doctor Debunks Misinformation About Women’s Health
el enero 26, 2023
-
How One Welsh Pub Became The ‘World’s First’ Vegan Steakhouse
el enero 26, 2023
Top Health News — ScienceDaily
- New test could detect Alzheimer’s disease 3.5 years before clinical diagnosison January 27, 2023
New research has established a blood-based test that could be used to predict the risk of Alzheimer’s disease up to 3.5 years before clinical diagnosis.
- Most U.S. children use potentially toxic makeup products, often during playon January 26, 2023
Scientists found that most children in the United States use makeup and body products that may contain carcinogens and other toxic chemicals.
- New AI tool makes speedy gene-editing possibleon January 26, 2023
An artificial intelligence program may enable the first simple production of customizable proteins called zinc fingers to treat diseases by turning genes on and off. The researchers who designed the tool say it promises […]
- AI technology generates original proteins from scratchon January 26, 2023
Scientists have created an AI system capable of generating artificial enzymes from scratch. In laboratory tests, some of these enzymes worked as well as those found in nature, even when their artificially generated […]
- Artificial human skin paves the way to new skin cancer therapyon January 26, 2023
In a new study, researchers have managed to curb skin cancer. The study was conducted on artificial human skin.
- Body phenotypes say a lot, but not everything, about a person’s healthon January 25, 2023
Researchers studying body phenotypes — the observable characteristics like height, behavior, appearance and more measurables — found that regardless of the muscle they had, high levels of fat mass in an individual […]
- Supplementation with amino acid serine eases neuropathy in diabetic miceon January 25, 2023
The study adds to growing evidence that some often-underappreciated, ‘non-essential’ amino acids play important roles in the nervous system. The findings may provide a new way to identify people at high risk for […]

PubMed, #vegan-diet
-
Metabolic and nutritional biomarkers in adults consuming lacto-ovo vegetarian, vegan and omnivorous diets in Spain. A…
on January 23, 2023
-
NEW Soul in the neighborhood-reach and effectiveness of a dissemination and implementation feasibility study
on January 23, 2023
-
Comparison of sensitivity to taste and astringency stimuli among vegans and omnivores
on January 22, 2023
-
Protective Effect of Vegan Microbiota on Liver Steatosis Is Conveyed by Dietary Fiber: Implications for Fecal…
on January 21, 2023
-
Plant-based and vegetarian diets: an overview and definition of these dietary patterns
on January 21, 2023