LBN: Why Some Foods Are Addictive

[supernova]

In case you rarely stop by LBN, I thought this thread was particularly useful for us:


Source: Sydney Morning Herald


http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2009/01/12/nicolewigan_wideweb__470x313,0.jpg

Nicole Wigan, left, enjoys a holiday treat of fish and chips at La Perouse yesterday. She said she has to watch her son Jack (wearing red rashie), who loves junk food.
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CORNFLAKES, biscuits and soft drinks may be as addictive as cigarettes and are in danger of advertising bans, strict regulations, high taxes and health warning labels, scientists say. These and other heavily processed foods with a high glycaemic index (GI) trigger an addictive sugar rush that can be hard to resist and leads to obesity.

New Zealand scientists reviewed evidence showing compulsive food consumption has similar underlying brain mechanisms that result in drug dependence, and argue that heavily processed carbohydrates have the most potential to cause addiction.

Lead researcher Simon Thornley, from Auckland Regional Public Health Service, said foods with a high GI caused blood-sugar levels to spike suddenly, and this sugar rush stimulates the same areas of the brain associated with addiction to nicotine and other drugs. Low-GI foods produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and a feeling of contentment and satiety.He said the theory, if proven, had important public health implications....

...This is the first time GI has been implicated as the predictor of the addictive potential of foods. Dr Thornley said evidence showed people who binged on high-carb foods experienced symptoms of addiction - loss of control, a compulsion to keep taking higher amounts to get the same buzz - and suffered withdrawal if they went cold turkey. And like those addicted to cocaine and alcohol, people with a higher body mass index had fewer brain pleasure receptors.


LBN Thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3687103&mesg_id=3687103

Original article: http://www.smh.com.au/news/lifeandstyle/lifematters/revealed-why-some-foods-are-addictive/2009/01/12/1231608617039.html