Research shows that the prerequisites for the development of addiction in humans are created by genetic and environmental factors. When you use an addictive substance regularly, important brain systems are rewired. As a result, the person needs this substance more and more.
This reorganization involves three basic brain networks. They correspond to the reward system, the stress response system, and the executive control system.
First of all, when you use an addictive substance, dopamine is secreted in the reward system. This gives the person a pleasant feeling.
With continued use of something addictive, the human body becomes tolerant to it. That’s why it needs more of this substance to feel its effect. Withdrawal symptoms develop when a person stops using a substance. These can range from irritability and nausea to paranoia and seizures.
Additionally, overuse of most drugs gradually damages the brain’s executive control system (the prefrontal cortex and other areas involved in self-regulation and impulse control). Over time, this makes it increasingly difficult for the person to control their behavior regarding these substances.
Numerous studies over the past 25 years have shown that high-sugar foods and other highly addictive, often ultra-processed foods have effects on the brain similar to other addictive substances. As a result, food cravings and overconsumption increase.
Additionally, clinical studies confirm that people addicted to food show symptoms of substance use disorder. Some people experience food cravings so strong that they go far beyond just snacking and become a sign of addictive behavior. Cues associated with highly palatable foods activate reward centers in the brain, and the degree of activation predicts weight gain, according to one study.
Numerous scientific studies also show that suddenly quitting foods that contain a lot of sugar can cause withdrawal symptoms similar to those seen with opioid or nicotine withdrawal. Excessive sweet consumption has also been found to reduce cognitive function and cause damage to the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, parts of the brain responsible for action control and memory.
More clinical research is currently being done, but we need more research to help doctors find the most effective treatments for people with food addictions. Groups of psychologists, psychiatrists, neuroscientists, and mental health experts are now working hard to include “hyperprocessed food disorder” (food addiction) in future editions of diagnostic manuals (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases).
News materials cannot be equated with a doctor’s prescription. Consult an expert before making a decision.
Source: Ferra
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