Overview
Just as drug addicts crave the drug they’re addicted to, food addicts crave certain foods in the same way. A large number of people are suffering from food addiction.
Food addiction was recently discovered as a serious problem.
This neurotransmitter is responsible for producing pleasure-inducing hormones whenever taste buds experience a pleasant taste. After becoming used to these pleasure-inducing foods, the brain cannot get enough of this “taste.”
These foods are hyperpalatable and high in sugar, salt, and fat, making them addictive.
1. Pizza
According to research by the University of Michigan on healthy dieting, pizza ranked as the most addictive food worldwide. When assessed on the Yale food addiction scale, which is the most widely used scale in determining food addiction, pizza stood as the number one addictive food.
Daily, 13% of people have pepperoni pizza, which has approximately 360 calories and 10 grams of fat per slice. This is not only addictive but also has a very adverse effect on your overall health.
However, if you’re following a healthy diet, you should try topping the pizza with more nutritious ingredients, such as shredded vegetables.
2. French Fries
It’s usually hard to resist a couple of French fries because of their irresistible sweet-and-salty taste. It’s no surprise: the salty nature of French fries keeps us craving more.
The sodium in French fries facilitates the production of dopamine, which activates the brain’s pleasure centers. However, medical practitioners strongly warn that the saltiness of French fries is not suitable for our bodies.
3. Soda
We all love soda, don’t we? I was once a soda addict until I discovered all the adverse effects it has on my body.
This is not a discouragement if you love soda. It’s just a piece of sober advice from an experienced soda drinker!
Soda is usually loaded with sugar, which can increase your risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Also, it has high fructose corn syrup with caffeine, which makes it more addictive.
It’s also important to remember that whenever you drink soda, you are taking in a combination of sugar and calories that aren’t part of a healthy diet.
4. Chocolate
This is another class of hyperpalatable foods that are high in calories, which can contribute to a diagnosis of knee pain. According to research by the University of Michigan, chocolate ranked second on a scale of 1 to 7 for addictive foods, with a score of 3.73.
Chocolates are very addictive.
People who were diagnosed with knee pain treatments admitted to eating large amounts of chocolate in addition to high-calorie food.
5. Potato Chips
According to research, potato chips are at the same level as chocolates when it comes to addiction. However, potato chips differ from chocolate in that they contain a high level of fat and salt.
Whenever you’re eating potato chips, the nerve endings of your pleasure receptors send a signal to the hypothalamus, which overloads the pleasure centers. In turn, this leaves us with an addiction that leaves us craving more and more chips.
6. Cookies
Do you find yourself gobbling lots and lots of cookies at one moment in time? Are you constantly keeping a cache of cookies, maybe in your vehicle, house, or even hidden somewhere?
Well, you may be suffering from its addiction too! This is sad news for you, since cookies are made with ingredients such as butter, milk, sugar, and flour, which are not very healthy.
According to previously mentioned research from the University of Michigan, cookies appear at number four as the most addictive food in the world.
7. Ice Cream
If you are that guy on a quick weight-loss plan, you should avoid ice cream altogether. This is because ice cream contains unhealthy components that are not suitable for a fast weight-loss strategy, such as fat, calories, and sugar.
Scientific studies show a half cup of ice cream contains 310 calories, 18 grams of fat, and 28 grams of sugar. Sadly, among 27 respondents interviewed by a research team from Yale University, 53% occasionally had a cup or two of ice cream.
How to Avoid Addictive Food
The first and best way to avoid addictive and unhealthy food is by understanding its adverse effects on your health. After this step, you should consider minimizing the amount of food you were previously eating.
Since people who suffer from food addiction tend to eat a lot of food, they should start by reducing the size of the plate, which will reduce the amount they consume daily.
On the other hand, eating natural foods competes with hyperpalatable foods for the production of dopamine. This, in turn, decreases the number of receptors that produce dopamine, thereby relieving the brain of excess cravings.
Conclusion
Although the foods listed above are commonly enjoyed, they are very unhealthy because they contain high amounts of calories, lack nutritional value, and are highly addictive. So, you should always be careful when you indulge in this kind of food.
References
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/binge-eating-disorder/mental-health-food-addiction#1
https://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/signs-symptoms-and-treatment-food-addiction
https://www.grandparents.com/health-and-wellbeing/diet-and-nutrition/food-addiction
https://doctor.ndtv.com/living-healthy/top-7-most-addictive-foods-heres-how-you-can-curb-your-addiction-1793113
https://www.builtlean.com/2014/01/10/addictive-unhealthy-foods/
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