Processed foods can trigger a boost of dopamine, which has an addictive quality.

ASHEVILLE – While many of us are still digesting recent news from the World Health Organization that bacon and other lunch meat could cause cancer, some experts say processed foods can also trigger a boost of dopamine in your brain, much like drugs or alcohol.

April Dennis, a personal trainer and weight loss expert in Asheville, says processed foods can trigger opiate receptors in the brain, and adds that for some of her clients simply understanding that gives them the power to avoid unhealthy foods.

"For a lot of people just having that knowledge that it's all in the brain makes it easier," she states. "It makes it so they can turn that off and go towards eating good foods, and then they feel satisfied and they don't desire the other foods."

Dennis says just one handful of candy corn or other simple carbohydrates can trigger the brain to demand more of the sugar high that comes from eating those types of foods, and make it more difficult to go back to a healthy diet.

Nutritionist and author Keith Kantor also stresses that processed foods can trigger addictive behaviors in the brain. He notes clinics that specialize in treating substance abuse limit foods that would trigger high boosts of dopamine in your brain.

"All we really did was transfer the addiction from the drugs or the alcohol to something else like sugar or caffeine, which gives them the same highs and lows that they give from the drug by raising and lowering in most cases their sugar level," he explains.

Dennis says it can take several weeks for her clients to see a shift when they cut out processed foods, but once they do the results are significant.

"It cuts the cravings," she explains. "The body isn't having it as much, so the body doesn't want it as much. The body actually kind of eases back and starts desiring fresh fruits and vegetables instead, which is where we're getting our most nutrition from."

Nutritionists suggest increasing the number of whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables in your diet to improve health and achieve weight loss if that is your goal.

Comments