New Research Shows Processed Food is as Addictive as Cigarettes

Researchers have discovered that Highly Processed Foods can be associated with an eating phenotype reflecting the hallmarks of addiction. Loss of control over intake, intense cravings, inability to cut down, and continued use despite negative consequences.

Highly processed foods are everywhere. From fast food restaurants to the shelves of your local grocery store, it can be hard to escape the ubiquitous presence of these addictive foods. But why are they so addictive? Read on to learn more about how highly processed foods hijack our brains and make us crave them over healthier alternatives.

At its core, addiction is a learning process in which people form an association between pleasure and a certain behavior or substance. When it comes to food, this means that if we eat something that tastes good, our brain will form a connection between pleasure and eating that specific food. This connection is further reinforced when our body releases dopamine—a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure and reward—in response to eating the food.

In the case of highly processed foods specifically, this effect can be amplified even further due to the combination of sugar, salt, and fat present in many of these items. These three ingredients all have unique effects on our taste buds: sugar enhances sweetness, salt boosts savoriness, and fats make everything taste creamier and more indulgent. The result? Rapidly consumed calories with lots of flavor—a powerful combination for any food addict!

Furthermore, these foods often contain artificial additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) or other flavor enhancers that increase their palatability. This means that once you start consuming them, it’s hard not to keep going until you’ve finished off an entire bag or box in one sitting! Not only does this lead to overeating but it also causes your brain to become conditioned to expect high levels of pleasure whenever you consume these types of food products.

But now science is taking the link between processed food and addiction a step further. Foods such as sugary soft drinks, baked goods, chips, burgers, and fries can cause compulsive consumption, have mood-altering effects, and trigger strong urges, according to scientists from the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and the University of Michigan.

Explore more about this life-changing research. Heed the advice.

https://vtx.vt.edu/articles/2022/11/HPFsandtobacco_fralinbiomed_1109.html#:~:text=They%20found%20that%20highly%20processed,brain%3B%20and%20are%20highly%20reinforcing.