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Highly processed foods rewire the brain’s reward circuits and activate the brain in ways that look like cravings for cocaine, according to new studies. Some scientists are starting to conclude that these foods can trigger addictions like those associated with drugs or alcohol. The evidence isn’t clear-cut that some foods meet the full definition of addictive substances, but many studies have shown that highly processed foods (artificially high in carbohydrate and fats) cause dopamine release in the brain (like amphetamines) and can be followed by withdrawal symptoms (at least in kids and adolescents)--two hallmarks of addiction. 

Why this matters: The average U.S. adult gets 60 percent of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods. These foods are designed by their manufacturers to contain extra sugar, salt, fat, artificial colors or preservatives, and are packed with other ingredients like hydrogenated fats, bulking agents and starches, to maximize deliciousness (called “the bliss point”) and keep people eating. 

What the experts say: “Foods that are very high in fat and carbohydrate in a kind of an equal ratio—they don’t exist naturally,” says Ashley Gearhardt, a clinical psychologist at the University of Michigan. “It’s something that’s designed by food scientists in a laboratory to look a certain way, feel a certain way in your mouth, smell a certain way when you open the package.”  A 2021 study showed, for example, that many people with binge eating disorder exclusively overeat ultraprocessed foods. “People aren’t losing control over beans,” Gearhardt says.

(Sources: Scientific American)