Ultra-Processed Foods Are as Addictive as Alcohol and Cigarettes, New Study Says

Craving your favorite junk food could be a sign of addiction, a new study suggests. According to a study conducted by researchers in the United States, Spain and Brazil, and published in a special issue of the British Medical Journal, signs of ultra-processed food addiction were found in 14% of adults and 12% of children, as determined by the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS ). Researchers pulled statistics from 281 studies in 36 countries and found that the figures were “similar to addiction levels for other legal substances in adults”, including 14% in alcohol and 18% in tobacco, and that the level of implied addiction was “unprecedented” for children.

Ultra-processed foods, which include fast food staples like chips, candy, and sugary breakfast cereals, are high in ingredients like fat and carbohydrates. The researchers said that the speed at which ultra-processed foods deliver ingredients to the gut may be crucial to their “addictive potential,” since they work faster than minimally processed foods and can also affect the brain more quickly. Additives such as flavor and texture can also contribute.

Ultra-processed foods include staple fast foods like chips and candy, and are high in fat and carbohydrates.

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The researchers found that “behaviors around ultra-processed foods may meet the criteria for a diagnosis of addictive disorders in some people.”

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According to Heathline, among other signs, symptoms of food addiction may include craving food when full and eating more than intended. Food addiction is not currently classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR), which is used by health professionals to diagnose mental disorders.

The researchers wrote that “behavior around ultra-processed foods may meet the criteria for a diagnosis of an addictive disorder.”

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Other experts say that declaring a certain food addictive is not a simple process. Erin Palinski-Wade, registered dietitian nutritionist, told Fox Digital News that “food cravings are complex and related not only to the nutritional profile of food, but also to emotions and learned eating behaviors.”

Palinski-Wade also noted that foods with high amounts of added sugars and fats tend to be associated with high levels of cravings, which can lead to “addictive eating behaviors.” She was not involved in the original study.

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“Conceptualizing ultra-processed, high-carbohydrate, high-fat foods as addictive substances may contribute to health promotion efforts,” says a recent study.

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Other factors may lead to choosing ultra-processed foods over minimally processed foods. Talking to Medical news todayregistered dietitian nutritionist Kelsey Costa, who was also not involved in the original study, suggested that making healthier food options more accessible through policy reforms could help solve the problem. [ultra-processed foods] and their addictive potential remain significant public health challenges,” she said. BMJ The study also noted that ultra-processed foods are a vital source of calories for people in different countries and that food environments are not always equal within the same country.

Although addiction to ultra-processed foods is not an “official diagnosis,” as the study reiterates, the researchers write that classifying it as such could ultimately be beneficial and “lead to new approaches” in areas such as social justice and clinical care.

“There is converging and consistent support for the validity and clinical relevance of ultra-processed food addiction,” Ashley Gearhardt, a University of Michigan professor who led the study’s research, said in a press release. “By recognizing that certain types of processed foods have addictive properties, we could help improve global health.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education