Is it possible
to be addicted to food?
Some people swear they are addicted to food. They say that certain
foods have a powerful hold on them, just like alcohol or drugs.
this sound crazy? Recent
scientific studies show that it can, in a way, be true.
Drugged by dopamine
eat an especially tasty food, our brain releases dopamine.
main pleasure-producing chemical in the brain.
The dopamine locks
on to receptors on our brain cells and creates a permanent memory trace.
The memory trace helps us remember the look, smell, and taste
of that food.
Dopamine makes us want to eat that food again.
There is a type of brain scan called positron emission
tomography that can actually measure the number of dopamine receptors -
DRD2 (dopamine receptor D2) in our brain. Recent
studies show that some people are born with fewer receptors than
normal. They have a low D2 gene.
People born with a low D2
gene are more likely to become addicted to food, alcohol, nicotine,
gambling. They don't get enough dopamine stimulation, so they never
experience enough pleasure. They use more of their chosen substance,
trying to feel pleasure. Between their doses of addictive drug or food,
they feel anxious and depressed.
We are all born with some genetic weaknesses. The important thing to
realize is that our
lifestyle habits determine whether our harmful genes will ever be
expressed. People with a genetic predisposition for heart
disease or diabetes will not develop those diseases if they follow a
whole food plant-based diet and a healthy lifestyle.
The same is true of addictions. You have probably met
non-drinkers who had alcoholic parents. They chose to
eliminate their genetic risk by never taking a drink. They chose not to
Food addiction in normal people
Even people who are born with the normal amount of dopamine receptors
can become addicted to food or drugs. Recent studies show that as
people become obese, their number of
dopamine D2 receptors decreases.
If you want to cause a food addiction, scientists say that the best way
do it is by intermittent gorging, also called binge
eating. And the best way to cause binge eating is by:
If you restrict calories
and lack essential nutrients, your body eventually rebels and forces
you to gorge
on high calorie foods. Do you see the connection?
- Trying to follow a
diet that is too low in calories, and
- Eating low nutrient foods
People who are addicted to drugs or alcohol have a physical dependency
these substances. When they try to stop using, they experience painful
withdrawal symptoms. After they recover, it is
important that they never use the substance again, or the physical
addiction will return.
- Dieting and eating low nutrient foods causes
- Hunger causes binge eating
- Binge eating causes food addiction
dieting and low nutrient foods cause food addiction
People who are addicted to food have a different situation. People need
food to stay alive.
try to withdraw from all food and never eat again, you will starve to
death. What is a food addict to do? The good news is that, just as with
drugs, not all foods
Which foods are addictive?
Think about the foods you can't
resist. Are they whole plant foods? Probably not. Nobody ever got in
the car and drove to the 7-Eleven or a fast food
restaurant at 11 pm to buy a head of cauliflower or a can of black
beans, did they?
Neal Barnard, MD, author of Breaking
Seduction, names four common foods or food groups that are
Do any of those ring a bell for
The truth about chocolate
Many people understand that chocolate is addictive. In fact, chocolate
stimulates the same part of the brain as morphine does. Some of the
active compounds in chocolate are:
In one case, scientists studied obese people who craved chocolate. They
gave the subjects naloxone, which is an opiate blocker used on drug
addicts. The subjects lost all interest in chocolate. Don't
get too excited about this. Opiate blockers can damage your liver if
used for very long,
so they are not a healthy solution for people who are addicted to food.
- Caffeine, a stimulant
- Theobromine, a stimulant
- Phenylethalamine, an amphetamine-like
Cravings for cheese
Many people say they could never be vegans because they can't give up
cheese. Why is cheese so addictive? Dr. Barnard explains that a major
source of addictive compounds in cow's milk is casein. Casein is a
protein made from a long chain of amino acids. About 87% of the protein
in cow's milk is casein.
When we digest milk or other dairy products, not all of the casein is
broken down into individual
amino acids. Some of it breaks down to short chain proteins, each
containing several amino acids. These short chain proteins are
casomorphins, and they are addictive compounds. Nature designed it so
calves would be addicted to food: to their mother's milk.
Cheese is basically concentrated cow's milk. When we eat cheese, we get
hit of these addictive opiates. Have you ever eaten a
large amount of cheese and been constipated afterward? The constipation
was caused by the narcotic effect of the casomorphins. We are not
calves, and we should not be
drinking cow's milk or eating cheese.
Dr. David Kessler, author of The
End of Overeating names three ingredients that trigger
Processed foods that contain
this combination give us lots of pleasure and
dopamine release, but no nutrition. It is easy to develop a fast food
addiction or an addiction to junk food. Processed foods actually
Even a whole food vegan must beware of the sugar-fat-salt combination
in meals. Restaurants, even most vegan
restaurants, use this combo to enhance the flavor
of food. These ingredients stimulate
our tastebuds and increase dopamine production. We eat, feel pleasure,
then we eat even more.
Learn to season your
foods with ingredients that are healthy and less
addictive. Good alternative
If you believe you are addicted to food, you are not a weak person who
lacking will power. You might naturally have low D2 receptors.
Or you might have made some mistakes in the past, like dieting
and eating low nutrient foods. It is never too late to change.
- Herbs and
- Citrus juices and zest
- Assorted vinegars
- Chilies and hot sauces
The way to overcome food addictions is to withdraw "cold
tofu" from all addictive foods. Get animal foods and processed
foods out of your
our vegan weight loss plan
carefully. Be sure to eat plenty of dark leafy greens, both cooked and
raw. Eat until you are satisfied. Do not try to count calories.
The good news is that eliminating addictive foods will not
cause severe physical
withdrawal symptoms. When you start eating satisfying amounts of whole
plant foods, you will feel better immediately. These are the
foods our bodies are designed to run on.