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While we all know about the dangers of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes,did you know that you could become addicted to your favourite food?From withdrawal symptoms to changes in brain chemistry, our snacks have
surprising ways of keeping us wanting more.Here is our guide to five of the world’s most addictive foods.
Chocolate
Many people claim to be chocoholics, but can you really be addicted to
chocolate?
The answer is... perhaps. One reason many people feel "addicted" to chocolate is
that
the food's chemical compounds (including theobromine, phenyethylamine,
anandamide and tryptophan)
actually have pleasure-inducing effects that can mimic the effects of drugs on
the brain.
Chocolate also contains alkaloids (tetrahydro-beta-carbolines) which are present
in alcohol
and have been linked to alcoholism.
However - before you go booking yourself into Chocoholics Anonymous - it is
important to note
that many researchers have pointed out that the chemicals in chocolate also
exist in other foods
which most of us do not crave. It has also been suggested that the chemicals in
chocolate are
not in high enough doses to lead to addiction. Regardless, it is impossible to
deny that
chocolate is one of the world's most-craved foods -
whether this is due to psychological reasons or a physical addiction.
Cheese
From pizzas to cheeseburgers, cheese is a staple of many widely-craved junk
foods,
but there could be more to our cravings than we think.
Various studies have discovered the presence of opiates -
including the highly addictive morphine - in the popular dairy product.
While the amounts of morphine in cheese are very small and probably not enough
to cause addiction,
some researchers have expressed concern about its levels of casein (the main
protein in cheese)
which produces morphine-like opiate compounds called casomorphins during
digestion.
On top of this, cheese also contains phenylethylamine, a substance with
stimulant effects
which is thought to give consumers a natural "high", and which is reputed to
have addictive qualities.
Sugar
We all know that sugar is bad for our health but, according to numerous studies,
it can also be addictive. Studies have suggested that when we eat sugar,
chemicals
called opioids are released by the brain, which leads to an intense feeling of
pleasure. It is this feeling that people may crave in the absence of sugar.
A study by psychologists at Princeton University investigated sugar addiction
by studying its effect on rats.
They discovered that after rats were fed a diet high in sugar, they experienced
symptoms
similar to those produced by drug withdrawal when the sugar was withdrawn,
including shaking and changes in brain chemistry.
The study therefore concluded what other researchers have also suggested; that
it is possible to become severely dependent on sugar
Burgers and other
Numerous researchers and studies have suggested that fatty, processed junk food
such as burgers
may actually be addictive. According to Professor David Kessler - an
ex-commissioner of the US Food and
Drug Administration and author of The End of Overeating - the combination of
fat, salt and sugar
in junk food triggers our "bliss point" and leaves us wanting more.
Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida backed up this theory
with a study which found
that the addictive responses in the brains of rats when fed junk food including
fatty meats were the
same as in those that consume cocaine or heroin. On top of this, meat - like
chocolate, cheese and
sugar - releases opiate-like substances during digestion which some studies have
suggested
can leave us craving more.
Coffee
Many feel that they can't start the day without a cup of coffee and people often
joke about
having a caffeine "addiction", however this may not be far from the truth.
Although there has been much debate over the years about whether or not caffeine
is genuinely addictive,
it is difficult to deny that many of us crave it to the point where we feel we
can't function without it.
One reason that people may crave caffeine so much is due to the fairly severe
symptoms of
caffeine withdrawal that people often face, ranging from fatigue and headaches
to irritability
and depression.
However, it may be that, rather than being physically dependent on caffeine, you
are actually
addicted to the belief that you can't function without your morning cup of
coffee.
Whatever the reason, caffeine remains the world's most popular drug and a staple
of many daily routines.
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