Those food porn photos really light up our brain

Just looking at this picture has lighted up neurons in the visual cortex of your brain. far more than if you were looking at a photo of a healthy salad. — AFP

Whether it's cheese oozing from a pizza slice or a burger dripping with sauce, mouthwatering images, usually of high-calorie foods, form part of the bread-and-butter of social networks and is often dubbed "food porn".

But while they may whet our appetites, these images also light up our brains, scientists have found.