Food addictions and neurotic habits: where are they from?

Have you ever had an irresistible craving for donuts, chocolate, or pickled onions? Don't worry, you are not alone. When does love for a certain food turn into cravings and become food addictions or weird obsessions? Can we stop the urge to overeat?

I have good news for you - you can overcome this desire. As someone who only ate for pleasure, I can say that carbohydrates were the solution (or excuse) for me, able to cope with any problem that my life confronts. Once you understand what triggers affect your behavior, cravings and constant overeating will simply disappear, only memories will remain.

Let's take a look at what actually happens when you satisfy your nighttime cravings for cookies with milk or a packet of salty chips. There is a suggestion that food addiction is caused by areas of the brain that are responsible for memory and pleasure, they create a trigger: you need to eat something to feel good.

Eating tasty foods that are high in fat and sugar disrupts the body's natural balance. These foods are often high in calories but very low in nutrients. High-calorie foods that are devoid of nutrients stimulate the body to seek additional sources of nutrients.

The common misconception that a small supplement is a healthy diet is far from the truth. In many cases, the more overweight we are, the more we are malnourished due to our high intake of junk and low nutrient foods. Regular consumption of fatty and carbohydrate foods is associated with increased concentrations of ghrelin and decreased leptin (hormones that regulate hunger and satiety), which further inhibits weight loss because the body does not know when to stop eating.

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Intestines

A constant craving for sugar can be a sign that your natural gut microflora (bacteria) is not working properly. When the gut is healthy, it sends out normal healthy signals of appetite, however, when the gut microflora is impaired (a condition called dysbiosis), the natural healthy functioning of the gut can be disrupted, which in turn affects overall health and well-being. As bad bacteria feed and thrive in an environment high in sugar or yeast, our bodies respond to the urge to consume more of these foods, which encourages the growth of bad bacteria. This natural reaction for humans is even more completely destroying the health of the intestines. Thus, the only way to regain control of bad bacteria is to temporarily eliminate their energy source - sugar and yeast.

Opioid effect

Some foods contain opioids, which trigger a short-term chemical reaction in the body to make us feel good. Opioids are a psychoactive chemical that binds to opioid receptors found primarily in the central and peripheral nervous systems and in the gastrointestinal tract. Opioids are a class of chemicals that include naturally occurring opiates derived from poppy seeds, such as morphine and heroin, and synthetic opioids, such as methadone. Our bodies can create opioids in the form of mood-enhancing endorphins.

Opioid-containing foods

Wheat and gluten

When digested, gluten (a protein in wheat) produces fragment peptides that can also act as opioids called gluten exophins. Many people claim that they feel a slight cloudiness in their heads after eating foods such as bread, cakes and pasta, which is most likely due to the narcotic effect of gluten.

When the body digests gliadin (a protein also found in wheat), it produces gliadorphin, which is a fragmentary peptide that can also act as an opioid. This is due to the opiate receptors in the brain, which make us want to eat more food. This explains why it is so difficult for us to settle for one cookie or a piece of bread. Wheat and gluten can trigger inflammatory reactions in the gut. Some people claim that they experience bloating, heartburn, or a cloudy head after eating too much wheat and gluten.

If you notice these symptoms after eating bread, pasta, and other wheat or gluten-based foods, it may be time to cut or even remove them from your diet for a while and watch how you feel. Foods that contain gluten include flour, bread, pasta, pizza, cereals, cakes, cookies, muesli, and processed foods. The starches and thickeners in sauces can contain gluten, even soy sauce, candy, medications, vitamin supplements, tabasco sauce, and ketchup. Always check food labels for gluten. Gluten-free foods should not contain any trace of gluten.

Milk products

Have you ever sat in front of an empty plate of cheese, thinking, “How did this happen? I only ate one bite! " Cheese can cause drug addiction. Casein is a protein found in dairy products that, when partially digested, produces an opioid peptide called casomorphin.

Serum also contains proteins called β-lactabulmin and β-lactoglobulin, which, when digested, produce fragment peptides called β-lactorphins, which act as opioids.

Sometimes, cravings for dairy products can be a symptom of a hormonal imbalance in estrogen, which is required for calcium absorption. Dairy products contain essential nutrients that help regulate hormones. If your milk addiction is spiraling out of control, then you should consider natural ways to balance your hormone levels.

Interestingly, mature or fermented cheese can interact with certain medications, such as antidepressants, and should therefore be avoided. This phenomenon is known as the "cheese reaction": Mature cheese contains a lot of tyramine, which accumulates in humans if they take antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Usually enzymes in the digestive tract keep the amount of tyramines at a safe level; however, during medication intake (MAOI), this enzyme can no longer control tyramine.

When tyramine levels rise, serious health problems can occur, such as high blood pressure, headaches, heart problems, nausea, vomiting, and disorientation. Other foods high in tyramine include ham and meat, soy sauce, legumes, shrimp, coconuts, yeast, bananas, peanuts, pineapple, avocado, eggplant, tofu, sauerkraut, pickled foods, and beer. The more wheat and dairy products you consume, the stronger your desire and the more you eat!

Addiction to fast food

Eating unhealthy foods high in fat, salt, and sugar can relieve pain or stress and calm you down by causing your body to release endorphins.Eating these delicious foods activates the opioid chains in the brain, which in turn makes you eat even more. Thus, fast food is addictive - the more you eat, the more you want. You can gradually limit yourself in the use of these products, thereby getting rid of addiction.

No stress - no food addiction

Food cravings often get worse when you're stressed or anxious. The more nervous you are, the more you crave foods that are high in hydration. Carbohydrates increase the release of serotonin, which has a calming effect. Carbohydrate cravings can also be a sign of nutrient deficiency, as the body requires a lot of nutrients during stress, especially the B vitamins. Vitamin B6 is involved in the production of serotonin, and a deficiency of this vitamin leads to food addiction.

Monotonous diets can also lead to nutritional deficiencies and food addiction. Physicians have recognized that geophagy is a disease, it is a craving for inedible substances such as ice, clay, chalk, mud or sand. Geophagy is most common in children and women, especially pregnant women, and people with developmental disabilities. This perverse appetite is believed to be caused by a mineral deficiency.

Often the substance to which one is drawn contains a mineral that a person lacks. The body tries to tell us this, to direct us, and this is how the craving for food manifests itself. Craving for a certain substance or food is a sign that your body needs certain nutrients, but knowing what foods to eat is important. If you find yourself craving a certain drink or food, pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you. It is possible that you are lacking in certain nutrients.

Kardopolova M. Yu.