Scientists have been studying the effects of drugs and unhealthy foods for a while, but who knew that these two seemingly unsimilar things have more in common than you think. In a recent study on rats, they found out that when rats ate high-fat, high-calorie foods it had the same effect as when they were exposed to cocaine. How can this happen? Well, doing drugs or eating unhealthy foods turn on the "pleasure" center in your brain, a temporary artificial, happy feeling, which results in a crash later, causing you to crave more harmful things to your body. Another surprising fact I found out was that when people eat more unhealthy foods it builds a tolerance, requiring more junk food to get a "high". Humans have always had cravings for sugars and fats, however we have changed what we eat considerably now to what our ancestors have lived on. For example for sugar we ate fruits and for fats we ate heart healthy omega-3's, found in fish. Now the avearge diet includes man-made trans fat, a fat our body is not used to, which is why when we eat to much of this , over 2 grams per day, we heighten our risk for getting heart attacks, strokes and diabetes. Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Is junk food like cocaine?
Scientists have been studying the effects of drugs and unhealthy foods for a while, but who knew that these two seemingly unsimilar things have more in common than you think. In a recent study on rats, they found out that when rats ate high-fat, high-calorie foods it had the same effect as when they were exposed to cocaine. How can this happen? Well, doing drugs or eating unhealthy foods turn on the "pleasure" center in your brain, a temporary artificial, happy feeling, which results in a crash later, causing you to crave more harmful things to your body. Another surprising fact I found out was that when people eat more unhealthy foods it builds a tolerance, requiring more junk food to get a "high". Humans have always had cravings for sugars and fats, however we have changed what we eat considerably now to what our ancestors have lived on. For example for sugar we ate fruits and for fats we ate heart healthy omega-3's, found in fish. Now the avearge diet includes man-made trans fat, a fat our body is not used to, which is why when we eat to much of this , over 2 grams per day, we heighten our risk for getting heart attacks, strokes and diabetes. 
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I've always found it interesting that when I eat healthy foods, I really don't crave the "junk", yet when I'm not careful about what I eat, all I want to do is eat lots of sugar and fat. A good reminder to just keep putting good food into my body.
ReplyDeleteThis is good information to know and learn. I have eaten a lot of unhealthy food when I was a child, but I changed it for 4-6years. I found there is many cakes,breads, or desserts have Trans-fat even the ice cream. To be a healthy person is an important thing ever.
ReplyDeleteThis is really interesting information, it just goes to show how much people don't realize about things they eat on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteKnowing that food can be almost as harmful and addictive as drugs is shocking. It makes me glad that I eat plenty of healthy foods and only have junk in moderation.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting because I'm in psychology and the whole issue about how the brain's pleasure centers can be influenced by many different things. When you are depressed or feeling down, you want something to make you feel better, so most people automatically resort to their habits which would be drugs or eating junk food. Not many people think about it, but I think it's great you're bringing this to light!
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