Junk food addiction is much more like a drug addiction than researchers previously thought. Now they say that the sugar in various fast foods is 8 times more addictive than cocaine.
Dr. Nicole Avena of Icahn School of Medicine told The Huffington Post that pizza is the most addictive food, primarily because of the “hidden sugar” that only tomato sauce can have more than chocolate sauce. cookie.
Other highly addictive foods are chips, cookies, and ice cream. Cucumbers top the list of least addictive foods, followed by carrots and beans.
In a study of 504 people, Dr. Avena found that some foods provoke the same behaviors and attitudes as with addictions. The higher the glycemic index, the higher the likelihood of an unhealthy attachment to such food.
“Several studies suggest that industrially flavored food induces behavior and brain changes that can be diagnosed as an addiction similar to drugs or alcohol,” says Nicole Avena.
Cardiologist James O’Keeffe says that sugar is largely responsible for the development of cardiovascular disease, as well as liver disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease.
“When we eat refined flour and sugar in different foods, it first hits the level of sugar, then the ability to absorb insulin. This hormonal imbalance causes the accumulation of fat in the abdomen, and then the desire to eat more and more sweets and starchy junk food, explains Dr. O’Keeffe.
According to Dr. O’Keeffe, it takes about six weeks to get off the “sugar needle”, and during this period one can experience “drug-like withdrawal”. But, as he says, the results in the long run are worth it – blood pressure normalizes, diabetes, obesity will recede, the skin will be cleansed, mood and sleep will be harmonized.