2023-11-21 11:15:54
Tasty ultra-processed foods sold ready to eat are a very attractive food option when there is no time to cook and even when there is. The adult population is more aware than the child population about the risks of excessive consumption of this type of food, and yet they consume it more than they should, since it is difficult to resist the temptation. Do you find it even more difficult to resist the child population? Does addiction to ultra-processed foods exist or is it an exaggeration to call the problem that way? The authors of a recent study have sought answers to those questions.
The study was carried out by an international team led by Ashley N Gearhardt from the University of Michigan in the United States. Among the members of the team are Dr. Susana Jiménez-Murcia and Dr. Fernando Fernández-Aranda, from the Bellvitge University Hospital (HUB) and the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), located in Hospitalet de Llobregat and which is one of the institutions CLOSE to the Generalitat of Catalonia. Dr. Susana Jiménez-Murcia is head of the IDIBELL research group and head of the HUB Clinical Psychology Service. Dr. Fernando Fernández-Aranda is group leader of IDIBELL and coordinator of the Eating Disorders Unit of the HUB.
The research in question is a review of study results. And the results indicate that 14% of the adult population and 12% of the child population admit to being addicted to ultra-processed foods, which implies, for this last percentage, an “unprecedented” level of addiction never before recorded in the population. childish. The study collects everything that is known so far about the addictive power of ultra-processed foods and its implications at a clinical and social level.
“The case of addiction to ultra-processed foods is especially sensitive, since there are unique social justice issues. For example, we can treat drug addiction by avoiding their consumption, since they are not necessary for survival. On the other hand, food is, and in the case of ultra-processed foods, its low price makes it the only option for many families with few resources, therefore, its addiction must be treated from a different perspective,” the researchers point out. researchers.
Ultra-processed foods are industrial foods that contain ingredients not available in the home kitchen. They tend to be foods rich in refined carbohydrates and fats, two components that induce the same release of dopamine in the brain as nicotine or ethanol. This means that addiction to them follows the same physiological mechanisms of addiction as alcohol or tobacco. “Consuming products such as industrial pastries or prepared foods activates reward neural circuits in a similar way to how other substances do,” explains Dr. Jiménez-Murcia, “this implies the development of impulsive behaviors, the deregulation of emotions, and is associated with also to poor physical-mental health and a lower quality of life.”
Furthermore, these types of foods are presented in a structure in which carbohydrates and fats are absorbed very easily, which allows them to act on the brain much more quickly.
Dr. Fernando Fernández-Aranda and Dr. Susana Jiménez-Murcia. (Photo: IDIBELL)
What makes ultra-processed foods addictive?
To determine if a food is addictive, criteria are used such as lack of control over its consumption or continued use despite the negative consequences it entails for the affected person. According to researchers, the addictive power of ultra-processed foods cannot be explained by a single individual component. Until now, no specific component has been found that makes them addictive, such as nicotine in the case of tobacco.
“We believe that it is the combination of many components that generates its uncontrolled consumption,” says Dr. Fernández-Aranda, a psychologist who is an expert in eating disorders. Studying how the combination of different ingredients and additives, together with various formats and presentations, increase the addictive potential of ultra-processed foods is a field of research with a great future.”
What can we do to reduce the social and health impact of ultra-processed foods?
The authors of the research detail that there are several factors that encourage the consumption of ultra-processed foods. On the one hand, the low price causes its consumption in the most disadvantaged regions to multiply. Its presence is also increasing in those areas where it is more difficult to obtain safe fresh food. In the study, experts propose applying measures to increase the accessibility and affordability of minimally processed foods, such as applying taxes to ultra-processed foods or limiting their marketing. At the same time, researchers suggest that new standards be established to label ultra-processed foods as addictive.
Dr. Fernández-Aranda also adds that another key measure would be to develop clinical guidelines for the treatment, management and prevention of addiction to this type of food. «An example of the need to create these guidelines is the case of people with obesity or eating disorders, who tend to present much more severe manifestations when accompanied by an addiction to ultra-processed foods. It is urgent to have clear guidelines on how to address these types of cases to prevent and reduce the impact.”
The review of study results is titled “Social, clinical, and policy implications of ultra-processed food addiction.” And it has been published in the academic journal The British Medical Journal. (Source: IDIBELL)
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