Why do we consume so much junk?
The answer may surprise you — or maybe not. Junk food is as addictive as drugs.
Foods with high glycemic index — processed foods — alter parts of the brain responsible for hunger, thirst and the natural rhythms and body cycles, according to a study by PubMed. High-glycemic foods are highly processed and highly refined. Consuming them creates a spike in blood sugar levels.
In the PubMed study, researchers split study participants into two groups. One was given a high-glycemic milkshake; another was given a milkshake with the same calorie content and flavor, but with a low glycemic index.
The group fed the high-glycemic shake was hungrier after four hours than the group given the low-glycemic shake. Brain scans revealed that those who consumed the high-glycemic shake had an intense response in the area of their brains responsible for pleasure similar to responses when taking heroin or cocaine, indicating the foods were highly addictive.
Most junk food contains sugar and wheat, both of which are responsible for a host of modern diseases.
Studies on rats show that when fed with sugar, behavioral and neurochemical changes occur that mimic those occurring when rats are given narcotics. These changes are related to the dopamine and opioid receptors in the brain. Other rat studies show that rats made obese from consuming foods like bacon, sausage, cheesecake, pound cake, frosting and chocolate showed changes in their brain receptors similar to those found in cocaine and heroin addicts.
When digested, wheat breaks down into four types of opioid peptides. Scientists believe these peptides are able to cross from the digestive track into blood and then into the brain where it stimulates opiate receptors, causing an addiction to wheat products.
So we have two (at least) addictive substances in most junk food. Is there any wonder Americans shop so heavily in the center grocery aisles and are quick to head to the nearest burger joint?
A diet of processed and fast foods is highly acidic and creates a condition called acidosis. Acidosis in the body (except in the stomach, which should be highly acidic) is a cause of disease unrecognized by medical people. Symptoms of acidosis may take the form of chronic degenerative disease, which may include cancer, diabetes, arthritis, emphysema, arteriosclerosis or heart disease.
In addition to causing obesity and myriad other chronic degenerative diseases, fast foods cause a number of other health issues, according to the journal THORAX. These include asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema.
Asthma, like celiac and gluten sensitivity, is an autoimmune disease. Peter Osbourne, M.D., has found that asthma sufferers often see relief if they eliminate gluten from their diets.
For maximum health your diet should be free of processed foods and sugar or chemical sugar substitutes. It should consist mostly of vegetables (organic is best) with a small amount of free-range meat.
H/T: Natural Society
