Is Food A Drug Like Cocaine?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 7:40AM 2 Comments 
Anyone feel addicted to ice cream, chocolate, pasta, cheeseburgers or pizza? Is it possible to get high from food? Lke a drug addict gets a high from her drug of choice? Yes, some people can.
If you have a craving for a particular food, let's say a chocolate malt, first you anticipate the malt - craving sets in - and then you finally get it, ah.... do you feel satisfied?
Well, there's craving (like mine, sort of wimpy - once a year I HAVE to have a chocolate malt) and then there's CRAVING. But the important thing is, what happens after the woman tastes the milk shake?
Those that scored high on a food-addiction scale had much less "reward" activity in the brain than other women. That's a set up for addiction. The cravings are intense, the reward not as good as anticipated. Better have more - that'll do it. The other downside for the women with this high craving/low reward response tends to be low impulse control. You see how this works, right?
It seems that ice cream and other high-calorie foods create a similar affect in the brain to cocaine, for some people. Women's brain being scanned by an MRI, who have an addictive relationship to food, meaning they often eat more than they planned or feel out of control, showed the same kind of activity of that of a cocaine addict.
Researchers asked women a 25-item questionnaire with questions like these: "I find myself continuing to consume certain foods even tho I am no longer hungry," When certain foods are not available, I will go out of my way to obtain them." (How do you respond to these questions?)
What to do? Notice that all the addictive foods mentioned above have high carb/sugar components. These foods convert into sugar quickly in the body - that's the high feeling that feeds addiction. Natural foods like vegetables, whole grains, some fruits convert sugars more slowly and the energy from them lasts longer. Sorry, no high, but sustained and balanced energy, which over times begins to feel much better than the ups and downs of carbs. Be patient, it takes time.
If you'd like to read the full story Addiction to food, drugs similar in the brain http://tinyurl.com/3k53gfk .
Reader Comments (2)
Hi Lynn, I just made time to read your current newsletter and several of your blogs. They are ALL wonderful! I regularly recommend your very informative book,"Intentional Joy" and your newsletters to my clients and friends. I will start recommending your blogs too!!! Thanks for making the world a better place. Hey...great new photo!
Thank you Chryil. I want to blog more often - there are so many addiction topics - next one - money.
Lynn