Sugar and Fat Binging Have Notable Differences in Addictive-like Behavior
When these nutrients are consumed in the form of binges, this can release excessive dopamine that causes compensatory changes that are comparable to the effects of drugs of abuse.
Nicole M. Avena, Pedro Rada, Bartley G. Hoebel, 2008. Sugar vs. Fat Bingeing: Notable Differences in Addictive-like Behaviors; Department of Psychology, Princeton University.
Chocolate Milkshake = Cocaine?
A. Gearhardt et al., “Neural Correlates of Food Addiction,” Archives of General Psychiatry 68, no. 8 (August 2011):808–16. Published electronically April 4, 2011.
Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward
Aravich, P.F., Rieg, T.S., Lauterio, T.J., Doerries, L.E., 1993. Beta-endorphin and dynorphin abnormalities in rats subjected to exercise and restricted feeding; relationship to anorexia nervosa? Brain Research 622, 1-8.
Alcoholism and Obesity - Linked
R. Grucza et al., “The Emerging Link Between Alcoholism Link and Obesity in the US,” Archives of General Psychiatry 67, no. 12 (2010):1301–8.
Sugar Addiction Evidence
Bray et al., 1992; Elliott et al., 2002; Howard and Wylie-Rosett, 2002; Ludwig et al., (2001). N.M. Avena, Rada, Hoebel (2008) Evidence for sugar addiction: Behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 31.
Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward
Our findings clearly demonstrate that intense sweetness can surpass cocaine reward, even in drug-sensitized and addicted individuals.
We speculate that the addictive potential of the intense sweetness results from an inborn hypersensitivity to sweet taste. In most mammals, including rats and humans, sweet receptors evolved in ancestral environments poor in sugars and are thus not adapted to high concentrations of sweet taste.
The supernormal stimulation of these receptors by sugar-rich diets, such as those now widely available in modern societies, would generate a super normal reward signal in the brain, with the potential to override self-control mechanisms and thus to lead to addiction.
Citation; Lenoir M, Serre F. Cantin L, Ahmed SH (2007) Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward. PLoS ONE 2(8): e698. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000698