These foods are actually addictive
Bad news, pizza lovers
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FOOD healthy living
You know that feeling when you’re eating a bag of chips and you’re not even sure you want them anymore, but you just keep eating them anyway? Everyone’s been there, and the end result is usually bloating and regret.
Turns out it's not just you, if that offers any sense of relief. How Stuff Works notes that chips and salty foods are legitimately addictive on both a psychological and physiological level. Salt—objectively—tastes good, which means you crave it. It also means your enjoyment of the food activates the reward centre of your brain, which makes it harder to, well, stop eating that bag of chips. And sure, Ruffles have ridges, but too much salt can lead to issues like high blood pressure and a potassium deficiency.
Salt isn’t the only food that has these addictive qualities. How Stuff Works also lists carbs, fatty foods, chocolate, sugar, cheese, and junk food in general as being not just delicious, but addictive. Pasta and bread can give you a dopamine rush, but can also result in real withdrawal symptoms when you haven’t eaten a bagel in a while. Ice cream is delicious, so obviously it’s bad for you. Chocolate causes a release of serotonin in your brain, producing a feeling of happiness that’s hard to resist. Sugar has been getting a lot of bad press lately for its addictive and unhealthy qualities, as they can cause weight gain, heart problems, and diabetes. Cheese has traces of morphine and casein, which has an opiate effect on the body.
So yes, many things that are pleasurable and good to eat are addictive because they make your brain tell your body that you feel good. Don’t stop eating everything you love, but be patient with yourself when you’re struggling to practice self-control. After all, you may be an addict.