Foods Like Ice Cream and Candy ‘Addictive as Cigarettes’

A recent study reveals that indulgent foods like ice cream, fries, and candy might be just as hard to resist or are as addictive as cigarettes or hard drugs. This study, which looked at 281 different research projects from 36 countries, was published in The BMJ.

It was found that when it comes to things like ice cream, chips, and candy, your struggle to stop eating them might have less to do with your willpower and more to do with how these foods are manufactured.

Combination of carbohydrates and fats

The study explained that these ultra-processed foods (UPFs) often contain a mix of refined carbohydrates and fats. This combination seems to make your brain’s reward system go into overdrive, which can make these foods even more addictive than just carbohydrates or fats on their own.

When the researchers used the same criteria for measuring addiction to substances like cigarettes or drugs, they found that 14 percent of adults and 12 percent of children were addicted to ultra-processed foods.

What are ultra-processed foods?

Ultra-processed foods are foods that are high in fat, carbohydrates, and sugar but lack essential nutrients. They’re the kind of foods that don’t offer much in the way of health benefits.

In a 2019 article published in the journal Public Health Nutrition, these foods were described as prone to causing overeating. Examples of ultra-processed foods include things such as ice cream, chips, cheeseburgers, French fries, soda, cake, candy, and cookies.

It’s important to know that these foods have been connected to various health problems. Eating too many ultra-processed foods has been linked to an increased risk of developing conditions like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and even depression in women. They’ve also been associated with cognitive declines, such as dementia.

Is food addiction a mental illness?

Food addiction is not officially recognized as a mental illness in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR), which is a handbook used by healthcare professionals to diagnose mental health conditions.

Nevertheless, in the last two decades, there has been increasing research in this area, as noted in the study. Ashley Gearhardt, a professor at the University of Michigan and the lead author of the study, explained, “There is converging and consistent support for the validity and clinical relevance of ultra-processed food addiction.”

She further said, “By acknowledging that certain types of processed foods have the properties of addictive substances, we may be able to help improve global health.”

Signs of food addiction

Signs of food addiction may include strong cravings for food even when one is already full, eating more than one intends, or continuing to eat despite negative consequences.

Dr. Chris van Tulleken, who authored Ultra-Processed People, pointed out that while food itself is not addictive, ultra-processed foods aren’t really in the same category as traditional food. The purpose of traditional food is to provide nourishment, while ultra-processed foods are primarily designed for profit and financial gain.

Reason for changes in body response

Changes in how the body responds to various foods is closely tied to dopamine, a chemical messenger in our brains. The study explains that when people eat UPFs, their brain experiences a surge of dopamine, which leads to a pleasurable sensation.

However, when dopamine levels drop, individuals may start to feel low and desire that pleasurable feeling again, driving them to seek out more UPFs.

This process is quite similar to what happens in our bodies when we consume alcohol, cigarettes, or other substances with addictive qualities. While scientists have identified ethanol and nicotine as the addictive elements in alcohol and cigarettes, they are still working to pinpoint the specific factors that make UPFs have a similar impact.

Processed foods are usually high in added sugars, added fats and calories.

What’s more, processed foods are engineered to make you eat as much as possible. They are much more likely to cause addictive-like eating than unprocessed foods.#diet #dieta#ketodiet#dietsehat pic.twitter.com/mpvgrYzekD

— Healthy Forces (@healthy_forces) July 28, 2021

In speaking to The Guardian, Van Tulleken pointed out that not everyone becomes addicted to ultra-processed foods (UPFs).

“Almost 90 [percent] of people can try alcohol and not develop a problematic relationship,” he noted. “Many UPFs for many people are addictive, and when people experience food addiction, it is almost always to UPF products.”