Drug Addict-like Withdrawal From Quitting Junk Food

Previous studies have focused on sugar withdrawal among animals and the literature regarding humans offered only anecdotal evidence, said Erica Schulte, the study’s lead author and U-M psychology doctoral candidate. What all researchers can agree upon is that the addictive qualities of tobacco, drugs or alcohol affect the brain similarly and cutting back can lead to negative side effects that can make it difficult to reduce intake. Anxiety, headaches, irritability and depression are some of those outcomes. Understanding whether withdrawal may also occur with highly processed foods was an essential next step in evaluating whether these foods might be capable of triggering similar addictive processes. The participants reported that sadness, irritability, tiredness and cravings peaked during the initial two to five days after they quit eating junk food, then the negative side effects tapered off, which parallels the time course of drug withdrawal symptoms, the study found. The study implications suggest that withdrawal symptoms may make dietary changes challenging, which may contribute to people reverting back to bad eating habits, said Ashley Gearhardt, associate professor of psychology and co-author, along with U-M graduates Julia Smeal and Jessi Lewis. https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/drug-addict-like-withdrawal-from-quitting-junk-food-309788?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=66102225&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8aHQ2DbpQRYoN-9GrWhY49sVl1RJvRW6XRGdhki52ro1UJLJUoCDgjAIUbr5Jrp0xCa9jN_SqsVp-K-XJ73IqeLUb91g&_hsmi=66102225