The Truth about Food Addiction

Many people question whether food addiction is real. Some say it isn’t, but the fact is that it is very much real. Everyone gets a craving for a food every once in a while, but for some people that craving is much more pronounced and often gives a person “withdrawal” symptoms if it is not taken. Just as alcohol can be an addictive drug, so can food. There are many foods that are addictive. Some foods are addictive just based on the person who is eating them, whereas others are addictive because hey contain ingredients that actually tell your brain that you need to have more and more and more. 

The first of these foods, and probably the most additive, isn’t a food at all. It is caffeine. For millions of people, this is the most addictive thing in their life.  They start every morning out with at least one cup of coffee and continue to drink it well through the day. If they fail to drink a cup of coffee they get a headache, and possibly start shaking and feeling generally queasy and uneasy.  Having a caffeine addiction can be harmful because you are speeding up your heart rate several times a time and then bringing it back down again. Overtime it can wear out your heart. Although most people do not have this addiction that badly, others will feel the effects as soon as they stop drinking it. 

Sugar is also an addictive food. People love the energy burst that it gives to our body.  It is a rush that you makes you feel so high one minute and then listless and tired the next. So what do people do when they feel that way?  They eat more sugar. Not only are you going to reach a point where you can’t eat any more but you will reach that point quicker and quicker because your body doesn’t need that much sugar. You will respond by getting cranky and tired, and physically you will feel shaky. Sugar is very difficult to avoid, but when eaten in moderation it will do absolutely no harm to your body at all. If eaten in large amounts you will gain weight which will contribute to heart disease and premature death. 

The last type of food that can be very addictive to people is carbohydrates. Although a moderate amount of carbs is very good for your body, an overabundance of it is not.  For the same reason sugar is addictive, carbs can be too. Eating too much of it will lead you down the road to crankiness and unhappiness when you do not have any in your body. It will also lead you to weight gain and just a general uneasy feeling that you can’t control. Carbs make you hungry long before it is time to eat and they send your body into overdrive once you eat them. Excess carbs is the number one cause of Type 2 Diabetes which can be very dangerous to your health.