Junk food, the new hard drug of choice
Interesting that science has shown this. I've battled this drug for years.
http://www.calgarysun.com/life/healt...17861-qmi.html
Junk food, the new hard drug of choice
By DR. RICHARD BELIVEAU, QMI Agency
Last Updated: April 11, 2010 10:00pm
Excessive stimulation of the body’s pleasure centres caused by high-energy foods can lead to compulsive consumption of hyper-caloric foods.
A recent study has shown that this dependence is due to the activation by unhealthy foods of the same mechanisms involved in addiction to hard drugs, like heroin and cocaine.
Our brain loves foods that contain high levels of sugar and fats, because we are biologically programmed to like these sources of calories. This fact, however, is exploited in an irresponsible fashion by the junk food industry that is constantly offering a huge selection, and huge quantities of sugars and fats, often at a modest price.
When consumed in moderation, these products become treats and have no negative effects on our health. However, many people have difficulty controlling this innate desire for sugars and fats. The intensity of the pleasure associated with consuming these unhealthy products is such that it can disrupt our appetite control mechanisms which in turn can cause an over-consumption of calories, leading to an increase in weight. Here, we have one of the sources of the world’s obesity epidemic.
JUST LIKE A DRUG
To determine the mechanisms involved with this dependency, American researchers examined the behaviour of animals that had easy access to some hyper-caloric foods like sausages, bacon and cheesecake.
The results were recently published in one of the world’s best scientific reviews, Nature Neuroscience. They observed that these animals quickly began to ignore their regular food and soon were in the habit of consuming these fatty foods in a compulsive fashion, to the point that they became obese shortly after the study had started.
Curiously, the acquisition of this excess weight coincided with a deterioration of the brain cells responsible for the pleasurable sensation associated with food, which caused a vicious circle: by consuming these hyper-caloric foods in excess, the pleasure sensation caused by eating this way became less and less intense, causing the animals to seek out the same feelings by eating more.
This effect is similar to what happens in the brains of animals that have access to hard drugs like cocaine or heroin.
The animals’ dependence on food was such that they were ready to risk receiving an electric shock rather than having to stop eating; after conditioning rats to fear receiving a shock at the sight of a red light, the researchers observed that the animals that received a normal diet stopped eating when the red light was turned on.
However, the obese animals showed no fear of the light and preferred to continue eating.
In all, these observations show that addictive potential of hyper-caloric food and suggest that the development of obesity implicates similar mechanisms as those involved in psychoactive drug dependency.
PREVENTING DEPENDENCE
The activation by hyper-caloric foods of areas of the brain that are involved in pleasurable sensations show us that what we eat has a huge influence on our well-being, as much physically as mentally. The development of a real dependency to these types of unhealthy foods is particularly problematic if it begins in childhood, as the risk of precocious obesity is high and can cause the premature development of numerous illnesses associated with being overweight.
As parents, we do everything we can to make our children aware of the dangers of substances like tobacco, alcohol and numerous recreational drugs. Now, it’s time to add junk food to that list.
Dr. Richard Beliveau holds the chair in cancer prevention and treatment at the University of Quebec in Montreal.
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ANTICANCER RECIPE:
THAI SOUP
Curry is sold as a powder or as a paste. In this recipe, we use red curry paste that can easily be found in Asian grocery stores and supermarkets.
3/4 of a large package of rice vermicelli
(8 oz)
Olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2 oz. (50 g) red curry paste
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
1 cup + 2 Tbsp. (280 ml) chicken broth
1 medium onion, diced into small cubes
8 tiger shrimp
1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
1/2 cup (125 ml) milk
Lettuce leafs, julienne
Cook the vermicelli for 4 minutes in boiling water. Rinse and reserve. Cook the shallots in oil for 1 minute over high heat.
Dilute the curry powder in a bit of cold water and mix with shallots. Add water and broth, and bring to a boil.
Add onions and shrimp. When the shrimp are cooked, meaning they are firm and pink, add coconut milk and regular milk. Turn off heat.
When ready to serve, put a bit of vermicelli and lettuce in each bowl. Pour in the soup and add two shrimps. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Source: Olivier Neau, teacher at Ecole Hoteliere de la Capitale, in Quebec City
