What Foods Have Addictive Potential?

Food in it's natural/unadulterated state is not addicting, while processed foods seem to cause problems for many people. Foods that have the most addictive potential include the following:

Refined grains

Added sugars

Artificial sweeteners

Added salts

Added fats (including refined oils)

Caffeine

Treatment for any addiction should involve abstinence for a period of time. While not possible to abstain from food, it is possible to abstain from highly concentrated by-products of food that are characterized by the aforementioned additives. Traditional eating disorder treatment typically ignores the impact of processed foods on the human brain, over-emphasizing the behavioral component of eating and the underlying issues, yet failing to address the importance of the substances ("food") that enter the human body. As the concept of food addiction gains popularity, I see a trend in people being willing to pay more for less ingredients. While this trend is not new, highly palatable foods will continue to be linked with dysfunctional eating behavior stemming from neural dysregulation. The transition towards abstinence from addictive food substances is best executed gradually as opposed to immediately. Once the brain is normalized ("recovery"), some foods with addictive potential can be handled by some individuals, in small doses. With respect to food addiction, the dose makes the poison. Meanwhile, failure to therapeutically address the underlying issues during treatment can lead to relapse into addictive eating, as is the case with any addiction. In conclusion, the food matters more than the food industry wants us to believe. We must identify and eliminate profitable and toxic substances that are masquerading as food.  

To learn more about Food Addiction, click HERE