Bloomberg Businessweek reports on a plethora of recent data that identifies junk food addiction as being just as serious as drug addiction. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrogenated oils, refined salt, and various other chemical preservatives found in processed junk food does the same thing to a person's brain as cocaine does.
A 2010 study conducted by scientists at Scripps Research Institute (SRI) in Florida found that rats given free access to Hormel Foods Corp. bacon, Sara Lee Corp. pound cake, The Cheesecake Factory Inc. cheesecake, and Pillsbury Co. Creamy Supreme cake frosting, experienced significant changes in brain activity and function -- and these changes mirrored those that occur in the brains of drug addicts.
Another study conducted by researchers at both the University of Texas in Austin (UT) and the Oregon Research Institute found that prolonged consumption of junk foods results in reduced activity in the striatum, a section of the forebrain that registers reward. In other words, just like with illicit drugs, those addicted to junk food require ever-increasing amounts of it to get the same "high."
"The data is so overwhelming the field has to accept it," said Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) concerning the findings. "We are finding tremendous overlap between drugs in the brain and food in the brain."
In a correlative study, researchers identified a similarity in dopamine production levels between drug addicts and junk food addicts. Addiction to either one essentially causes the brain receptors that receive dopamine signals to lose their responsiveness. As a result, addicts require increasing amounts of the addictive substance to receive the same level of satisfaction.
Since processed foods are loaded with synthetic chemical additives, they are technically drugs themselves. So it is no wonder that millions of people around the world are addicted to them.
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Sources for this article include:
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-11-07/fatty-foods-addictive-as-...
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034478_junk_foods_addictive_brain_chemistry.html#ixzz2LW1YyQl6
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Danger of a junk food diet for children: Study reveals toddlers who eat more chips, crisps, biscuits and pizza have lower IQ
ReplyDeleteToddlers fed a diet of junk food can suffer lasting damage to their brainpower, researchers warn. Children who eat more chips, crisps, biscuits and pizza before the age of three have a lower IQ five years later, a study showed. The difference could be as much as five IQ points compared with children given healthier diets with fruit, vegetables and home-cooked food. But even if their diet improves, it could be too late as the ill-effects can persist for a lifetime. This is the first study to suggest a direct link between the diet of young children and their brainpower in later life. The project at Bristol University took account of factors such as social class, breastfeeding and maternal education and age.
ReplyDeleteResearchers also allowed for the influence of the home environment, for example a child’s access to toys and books. They said good nutrition was crucial in the first three years of life when the brain grows at its fastest rate. Young children eating a diet packed with fats, sugar and processed foods consume too few vitamins and nutrients, which means their brains never grow to optimal levels. The findings are the latest to be published from a major investigation of childhood development called the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. This tracks the long-term health and well-being of around 14,000 children born in the early 1990s.
Despite the threat to children’s IQ, the surprising truth is . . . Even junk food can provide your daily dose of vitamins
ReplyDeleteDon't wean formula-milk babies early as more likely to be obese toddlers, warn experts
ReplyDeleteBabies raised on formula milk who start eating solid foods before they are four months old are more likely to become obese than their peers, say scientists.
ReplyDeleteThe findings support UK guidelines that say parents should try and breast feed up to six months before introducing solid foods.
Leading author Dr Susanna Huh from the Children’s Hospital Boston, said: 'Adhering to those guidelines could reduce the risk of obesity in childhood.'
Eating junk food can actually change the brain, spurring symptoms of anxiety and depression if you stop consuming it ...
ReplyDelete... mice fed the high-fat diet were more anxious at the end of the study, and also had higher levels of the CREB molecule, which is known to play a role in dopamine production (dopamine helps promote feelings of reward).
"CREB is much more activated in the brains of higher-fat diet mice and these mice also have higher levels of corticosterone, a hormone that is associated with stress. This explains both the depression and the negative behaviour cycle," Fulton said in the statement.
“It’s bizarre that the produce manager is more important to my children’s health than the pediatrician.” - Meryl Streep, American actress
ReplyDeleteWhy snacking at night is bad for you, http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/02/25/why-snacking-at-night-is-bad-for/
ReplyDeleteYoung Kids Know How to Share But Choose Not to, http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/04/young-kids-know-how-to-share-but-chose-not-to/
ReplyDelete