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Do you have difficulty putting down the packaging once you nibble that first tortilla chip, cookie, or other favorite snack? Well, you’re not alone. Processed foods are engineered to increase appetite and make you eat more. Most of us are influenced by addictive tendencies when it comes to sweet, salty, or fatty foods.
Can You Really Be Addicted To Food?
Our favorite processed foods create a biological dependency similar to other addictive substances like nicotine or cocaine. The biochemical process is extremely complex, going beyond the much-discussed dopamine reward system. Other neurotransmitters, like feel-good serotonin, drive the addiction response (2).
Over time, exposure to addictive foods is associated with “brain reward dysfunction” (12), contributing to increased appetite and weight gain. The food addiction response operates under similar neurological mechanisms as fear, stress, and anxiety (19). These emotional and biochemical reactions are closely intertwined, making treatment approaches a complicated endeavor.
Which Foods Are Most Addictive? (16)
In general, the more processed the food and the higher the sugar content, the more likely for that food to have addictive properties. The powerful combination of sugar, fats, salt, and caffeine can increase the addictive effects.
Which Foods Are Least Addictive?
Blame It On Sugar
Sugar is one of the most addictive substances. As the sugar content is increased in chocolate, a pleasurable delight that activates both the pain-lowering and pleasure-reward centers of the brain, the addictive properties also increase (7).
To learn what qualifies as a sugar, with now nearly 300 sneaky names being used, take a look at the following blog post:
More Sugar Pitfalls (19):
To better understand how sugar affects your brain, see an excellent TED-ed video clip by Dr. Nicole Avena, also listed below (3).
Restriction or Inclusion Therapy?
Views about the origination and legitimacy of food addiction impact therapeutic protocols. Therapists and nutritionists who specialize in binge eating disorders often propose inclusion therapies that don’t restrict addictive foods. After all, food is different than drugs in that we all need to eat. It’s also stemming from the belief that the eating disorder is mostly psychological in origin.
Newer approaches that integrate knowledge about biochemical influences may suggest short-term food restriction. Treating food addiction like drug addiction, by addressing the physical causes, may help those with binge eating to recover more quickly when also addressing the psychological components.
If you suspect you have any type of eating disorder, contact a therapist or nutritionist who specializes in disordered eating.
Proposed Nutritional Approaches
My Story
I’m a sugar addict, and I’ve struggled with bouts of extreme appetite and binge eating. In my attempts to better understand my own condition, I’ve tried a few different approaches to help determine if it’s psychological or biochemical in origin.
What I’ve Learned in My Personal Journey:
What Do You Think?
Tell me what you think about food addiction. Are you addicted to any foods?
Author: Laura Farnsworth, MS, CNS, CN, Integrative & Functional Nutritionist at Craving4Health.com
References:
Disclaimer: This website is for information purposes and is not intended to replace medical advice.