Why do we love junk food?
Although hamburgers and fries are known as some of the most harmful foods we can eat, they are still the most sought after in many restaurants and fast food outlets, especially in urban areas.
Is not it paradoxical that we tend to love / crave foods that we know will not do us any good, but it seems we can not stop eating them?
Why do we crave unhealthy foods?
Short answer: we crave unhealthy foods because they contain a lot of sugar and artificial additives, which have a delicious taste and, therefore, trigger the release of certain neurotransmitters that induce pleasure. In addition, we are evolutionarily programmed to eat much more than we need, and that makes it worse!
Junk food tastes great!
Believe it or not, an incredibly high number of people around us usually crave junk food.
There are some reasons behind that. First, junk food has a lot of sugar. We usually associate the word 'sugar' with the white powdered material (or tiny crystals) that we put in tea, milk and a lot of other foods to make them sweet, but that white powder is really just one type of sugar called sucrose. There are also many other types of sugar, which may or may not be sweet tasting (but most of them are).
Junk foods contain a large amount of added sugars, a ton of calories and a considerable amount of trans and saturated fats. In addition, they are low in vitamins, minerals and fiber content. Fried foods taste better than soft foods, and as we grow, we tend to "hook" with these foods.
This type of fatty foods loaded with sugar cause the brain to release certain neurotransmitters, called dopamine and oxytocin, that induce the sensation of relaxation, pleasure and enjoyment in an individual. That is why such foods (which are high in sugar and fat, such as cakes, pies, hamburgers, etc.) are called 'comfort foods'.
Junk food looks attractive
The popularity of junk food can also be attributed to its visual appeal. Manufacturers add color additives (they use vibrant, saturated colors) to make junk food seem more attractive to consumers, especially children.
We tend to associate the color of things with their level of health. Since ancient times, humans have come to associate foods of bright colors with something that contained many calories and strengthened their immune system. Think about it, why is a bright red apple appealing to us more than a pale apple?
We are scheduled to eat a lot
Prehistoric humans did not have such an easy access to the great variety of foods that we find every day. They did not have the comfort of having the essential nutrients (such as carbohydrates, salts, fats, etc.) available to them as easily as we do. Therefore, they made a habit of swallowing everything they could to survive and protect themselves from harsh natural conditions.
We do the same today; the 'cave mentality' that we inherited from our ancient ancestors ensures that we can never have enough foods high in calories and sugars, no matter how ruthlessly we devour them. What this means is that, from an evolutionary point of view, we are genetically programmed to eat more than we need.
How humor affects the habit of eating junk food regularly
When we are stressed, our body produces a hormone called cortisol in response. Cortisol increases the content of sugar in the blood, so it can be used by the body's cells as energy to help in the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In addition, it is also found that increases appetite. That is the reason why, when we are stressed, we involuntarily prefer foods with a high content of sugar, fats and carbohydrates, that is, unhealthy foods.
The result of eating too much junk food is that it is digested very quickly, which causes sugar spikes and cholesterol levels, but that can turn into a lot of serious conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and many other chronic diseases.
Seeing that junk food is not close to what you would call a "healthy food", there is only one question that annoys people who take their health seriously, but who can not help but love junk food.
Is not it paradoxical that we tend to love / crave foods that we know will not do us any good, but it seems we can not stop eating them?
Why do we crave unhealthy foods?
Short answer: we crave unhealthy foods because they contain a lot of sugar and artificial additives, which have a delicious taste and, therefore, trigger the release of certain neurotransmitters that induce pleasure. In addition, we are evolutionarily programmed to eat much more than we need, and that makes it worse!
Junk food tastes great!
Believe it or not, an incredibly high number of people around us usually crave junk food.
There are some reasons behind that. First, junk food has a lot of sugar. We usually associate the word 'sugar' with the white powdered material (or tiny crystals) that we put in tea, milk and a lot of other foods to make them sweet, but that white powder is really just one type of sugar called sucrose. There are also many other types of sugar, which may or may not be sweet tasting (but most of them are).
Junk foods contain a large amount of added sugars, a ton of calories and a considerable amount of trans and saturated fats. In addition, they are low in vitamins, minerals and fiber content. Fried foods taste better than soft foods, and as we grow, we tend to "hook" with these foods.
This type of fatty foods loaded with sugar cause the brain to release certain neurotransmitters, called dopamine and oxytocin, that induce the sensation of relaxation, pleasure and enjoyment in an individual. That is why such foods (which are high in sugar and fat, such as cakes, pies, hamburgers, etc.) are called 'comfort foods'.
Junk food looks attractive
The popularity of junk food can also be attributed to its visual appeal. Manufacturers add color additives (they use vibrant, saturated colors) to make junk food seem more attractive to consumers, especially children.
We tend to associate the color of things with their level of health. Since ancient times, humans have come to associate foods of bright colors with something that contained many calories and strengthened their immune system. Think about it, why is a bright red apple appealing to us more than a pale apple?
We are scheduled to eat a lot
Prehistoric humans did not have such an easy access to the great variety of foods that we find every day. They did not have the comfort of having the essential nutrients (such as carbohydrates, salts, fats, etc.) available to them as easily as we do. Therefore, they made a habit of swallowing everything they could to survive and protect themselves from harsh natural conditions.
We do the same today; the 'cave mentality' that we inherited from our ancient ancestors ensures that we can never have enough foods high in calories and sugars, no matter how ruthlessly we devour them. What this means is that, from an evolutionary point of view, we are genetically programmed to eat more than we need.
How humor affects the habit of eating junk food regularly
When we are stressed, our body produces a hormone called cortisol in response. Cortisol increases the content of sugar in the blood, so it can be used by the body's cells as energy to help in the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In addition, it is also found that increases appetite. That is the reason why, when we are stressed, we involuntarily prefer foods with a high content of sugar, fats and carbohydrates, that is, unhealthy foods.
The result of eating too much junk food is that it is digested very quickly, which causes sugar spikes and cholesterol levels, but that can turn into a lot of serious conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and many other chronic diseases.
Seeing that junk food is not close to what you would call a "healthy food", there is only one question that annoys people who take their health seriously, but who can not help but love junk food.
Comentarios
Publicar un comentario