Ever wonder why it’s so hard to resist junk food? Many scientists believe that we crave junk food the same way we crave other substances, like illegal drugs. This belief is growing thanks to a study being conducted by students from Connecticut College.
The study tested the affect of oreo’s on the rats brains by looking at the number of neurons in the brain’s “pleasure center” that were activated from eating. The results of the study supported the fact that consumption of foods high in fat or sugar can lead to addictive behaviors and can make the brain act in a similar way an illegal drug would.
An important thing to keep in mind with this study is that “addicted” doesn’t mean what we are all thinking it means. When it is used in terms of the study it is more along the lines of meaning that the rats sought something out and found pleasure in eating them. The main purpose of the study was not about the oreos but to show the effect foods high in fat and sugar have on your brain.
Now its’ easy to see why unhealthy foods are so hard to say no too! So next time you are eating oreos just keep in mind that everything is great in moderation!
I’m not sure if I am addicted to oreos but I am definitely addicted to midnight snacks. Midnight snacks are the best during cram sessions. When I am up studying for exams, I usually turn to snacks for the pleasure factor but also for the energy it will provide me. While this addiction is probably a poor choice of mines. Here is an website I found in regards to this
http://www.dailystrength.org/health_blogs/georgianna-donadio/article/6-techniques-to-stop-the-late-night-eating
I decided I wanted to read more information on this topic so I googled it. One piece of information that I felt was interesting was that according to this article, the level of activity in the addictive area of the brain was actually higher when Oreos were presented than when addictive drugs were presented. Prevention.com has compiled a list of some of the most addictive foods.
Any junk food is my weakness. I love snacking and it’s always junk food. It’s crazy the amount of “junk” you are putting into your body by eating junk food. If you think about it, it makes sense that some sort of addictive chemical or drug is in oreos because once you eat them, or any junk food for that matter, you can’t get enough. You just want more and more. The New York Time talked about junk food addiction in this article and I thought it was really good: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html?_r=0
It’s true that our body craves the sweetness for pleasure. But nowadays, with sugar added to everything from bread to condiments, we are eating way more than we should and our taste is almost trained to go for the super sweet stuff. It doesn’t have to be that way. By slowly cutting out artificial sweeteners and processed sugars, we can train our brains to be happy with less-sweet foods such as fruits or low-sugar yogurt.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-sugar-addiction
I love a good midnight snack. Like many, junk food is my guilty pleasure. I found it interesting how many chemicals are released when ingesting foods that are high in fat and sugar. I decided to investigate what effects my guilty pleasure could eventually have on my health. An article I found said that eating junk food can begin to have a negative effect on your health in as little as one week! I found it rather interesting, I think you will too. Check it out.
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/junk-food-affect-weight-energy-1376.html