The 4 most addictive foods in the country
Experts weigh in on what makes certain foods irrestible
Though “addictive” foods aren’t the same as mood-altering drugs that spark an inability to stay away from them, certain foods, for certain reasons, may trigger a less than healthy emotional response in those who consume them.
Not everyone has the potential for “food addiction” by simply eating ice cream, for example, explained Megan Kniskern, a registered dietitian and lecturer at Arizona State University.
“However, there are those who do feel a heightened sense of happiness or euphoria when eating ice cream. This reduces their ability to feel they can stop and increases the urges to have more of that food in order to have that same positive feeling.”
Kniskern said four of the most potentially addictive foods are…drum roll:
- Ice cream
- Baked desserts
The foods themselves don’t have a chemical that promotes the desire for more, she said. Rather, it’s a “perfect storm” of conditions that can lead to a food addiction response in some people. These conditions can include especially pleasing foods and the absence of a key neurotransmitter and may include less than optimal levels of two important hunger-related hormones.
Highly palatable foods—those that contain fat, added sugar, refined grains, salt or are calorie- dense—can trigger a response in the brain among some people who have a dopamine deficiency or dysfunction, Kniskern said. “Dopamine is a pleasure response system in the brain, and the individual may seek out additional activities or substances to replace that euphoric feeling, such as food.”
Researchers also are looking at the role played by the hormones leptin and ghrelin, as they relate to hunger and fullness cues within the body and are also connected to brain signals, Kniskern said. Leptin inhibits hunger; ghrelin increases it.
Danger of food addiction
“For many people who struggle with feeling out of control when they are around, or eating, specific foods, the main medical consequence is becoming overweight or obese,” Kniskern said. But “not all who struggle with food addiction are obese,” she pointed out.
Malnutrition can be present if the individual is not consuming adequate fiber, micronutrients and antioxidants that often aren’t present in foods that may have addictive properties, she added.
“There is an important emotional response as well in those struggling with food addiction,” she said, “in that often people who feel a sense of loss of control when eating specific foods will have a great deal of shame or even sadness and depression. The inability to be in control of the food you eat, or how that impacts the body size and shape, carries with it a lot of shame, isolation, loneliness and sadness for many.”
Confronting a food addiction
Most people are able to find balance and moderation in their intake of foods that tend to be “taste- bud friendly” but contain very little nutrient value, Kniskern said. A few ways to encourage better eating habits are:
- Consume more foods in their natural state and fewer processed foods.
- Don’t restrict calories or a particular nutrient to extremes, such as carbs or fats.
- Avoid “diet” or “light” foods.
- Consume moderate portion sizes, plate your food, avoid eating out of containers.
- Balance the nutrients you have at each meal and “work to eat the rainbow.”
- Often it’s best to go with a craving that you might be having, because fighting it by consuming other foods can also lead to overconsumption.
By eating more foods that are nutrient-rich, Kniskern said, you can help your body fight disease, keep your gut function optimal and manage your weight.