This isn't about sex, but as this forum tends to talk about restoring balance using other techniques, I thought this might be of general interest.

The emerging and surprising view of how the enteric nervous system in our bellies goes far beyond just processing the food we eat

Okay, it's obvious, and from 2006, but still, it's good to see researchers are digging.

Michael Flood *
Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, Australia
email: Michael Flood (mflood@vichealth.vic.gov.au)

*Correspondence to Michael Flood, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, PO Box 4026, Ainslie ACT 2602, Australia

Keywords
pornography • sexuality • violence • boys

Abstract

Could ghrelin be at work in porn addicts' brains? If so, it would be interesting to know how long it hangs around, encouraging mammals to seek familiar rewards.

DALLAS – Dec. 28, 2009 – The premise that hunger makes food look more appealing is a widely held belief – just ask those who cruise grocery store aisles on an empty stomach, only to go home with a full basket and an empty wallet.

Finally, researchers are starting to acknowledge that porn IS problematic for up to 60% of users. But they're looking at the "psychological processes," not the "physiological brain chemsitry processes." Psychologists still want to explain it all with "guilt." I'll see if I can get the full study through my library. Here's the abstract.

Published in: Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, Volume 16, Issue 4 October 2009 , pages 253 - 266

Abstract

Not about sex, but interesting: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-larry-dossey/the-mythology-of-science_b...

Mind chemical controls choice

“Dopamine, a chemical with a key role in setting people's moods, could have a much wider-ranging impact on their everyday lives, research suggests.

Experiments show that altering levels of the chemical in the brain influences the decisions people make.

One expert said the results showed the relative importance of "gut feeling" over analytical decision making.

The Current Biology study could help understand how expectation of pleasure can go awry, for example in addiction.

[Abstract on testosterone research...hinting at how mind overtakes matter...and how the sexes have subtle connections they aren't consciously aware of]

ScienceDaily (Dec. 9, 2009) — Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, are challenging long-held beliefs that human beings are wired to be selfish. In a wide range of studies, social scientists are amassing a growing body of evidence to show we are evolving to become more compassionate and collaborative in our quest to survive and thrive.

Food and mood

New research centers on link between nutrition and brain function

By Bina Venkataraman, Globe Correspondent | December 7, 2009

Not all foods are created equal, whether the goal is having a healthier heart or losing weight. And the same could be true when it comes to what we eat and how depressed or happy we feel, how well we learn, and whether we suffer from mental illness.