Shine OnHow some carbs cause you to overeat and are addictive
The idea that certain foods can be addictive is a controversial idea in the medical community.
Yet varying snippets of research point to the notion that refined carbohydrates with a high-glycemic index (white bread, potatoes, white rice, sugary drinks) trigger the reward centres in the brain that cause addition -- the same area activated by cocaine.
To test this theory, researchers from the Boston Children's Hospital conducted a small study which they say proves high-glycemic carbohydrates cause some people to overeat.
“Our research suggests that some of these foods might hijack the reward systems of the brain and produce symptoms related to addiction,” lead author Dr. David Ludwig tells Postmedia News. “We showed for the first time that refined carbohydrates can trigger food cravings many hours later.”
Also see: Common foods that pack on the pounds
Ludwig and his team -- who published their findings The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition -- performed functional MRI brain scans on 12 obese and overweight men aged 18-35 after they consumed two liquid milkshakes.
Both milkshakes looked and tasted identical and contained the same amount of calories and carbohydrates. However, the main difference was that one milkshake contained high-glycemic carbohydrates, and the other slow-digesting carbohydrates.
They found that the high-glycemic milkshake caused an initial blood sugar spike, but then a crash four hours later which resulted in the men reporting excessive hunger. They also found that the brain scans showed intense activation in the nucleus accumbens part of the brain which contains the pleasure-inducing chemical dopamine.
“Beyond reward and craving, this part of the brain is also linked to substance abuse and dependence, which raises the question as to whether certain foods might be addictive,” says Dr. Ludwig.
Also see: Carbs that are actually healthy and slimming
The effect was similarly found for the slow-digesting carbohydrates, but not nearly as strongly.
"Not everybody who eats processed carbohydrates develops uncontrollable food cravings," Dr. Ludwig tells the New York Times. "But for the person who has been struggling with weight in our modern food environment and unable to control their cravings, limiting refined carbohydrate may be a logical first step.”
What are you thoughts on the findings of this study? Have you noticed certain carbs make you eat more later in the day?
