Junk food can hijack brain like drugs do, experts say

 

'A growing body of medical research at leading universities and government laboratories suggests that processed foods and sugary drinks aren't simply unhealthy. They can hijack the brain in ways that resemble addictions to cocaine, nicotine and other drugs.

"The data is so overwhelming the field has to accept it," said Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. "We are finding tremendous overlap between drugs in the brain and food in the brain." '

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The Secret Way Italians Stay Healthy and Thin

LET FOOD BE THY medicine and medicine be thy food. – Hippocrates


'Want to know the secret behind how Italians stay so thin and happy? It's a secret I uncovered during my trip to Italy, where I wrote this blog. Sitting in the Umbrian countryside, enjoying a home-cooked meal prepared by Simonetta, a local chef, the answer is clear to me. Family, friends, and fresh, whole food are all part of the pleasure of being alive. And these pleasures help keep you healthy and thin.'

It's that simple!'

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These Foods and Nutritional Deficiencies Can Make You Depressed or Violent

by Dr. Mercola

'The Gut-Brain Connection 'When you consider the fact that the gut-brain connection is recognized as a basic tenet of physiology and medicine, and that there's no shortage of evidence of gastrointestinal involvement in a variety of neurological diseases, it's hard to fathom why diet is still so widely ignored by the mental health field. 

In a very real sense, you have two brains, one inside your skull and one in your gut. These two organs actually originate from the same type of tissue during fetal development. One part turns into your central nervous system, while the other develops into your enteric nervous system. These two systems are connected via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen. 

This is what connects your two brains together, and explains such phenomena as getting butterflies in your stomach when you're nervous, for example. They work in tandem, each influencing the other. And this is why your intestinal health can have such a profound influence on your mental health, and vice versa.' 

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Women’s Depression Tied to Junky Diets

'Two studies link diets high in processed foods, sugar, and omega-6 fats to depression in women and ties whole-food diets to a reduced risk'

By Craig Weatherby

Earlier this year, British researchers reported that people who ate “junky” diets – such as the average American diet – were more likely to suffer from depression.

The UK team analyzed diet and health data collected from 3,486 men and women (average age 55.6 years).

Based on how often the participants had eaten specific amounts of various foods during the previous year, researchers categorized them as falling into one of two dietary patterns.

A “whole food” diet was defined as one dominated by vegetables, fruits and fish, while a “processed food” diet was marked by high intake of sweets, fried foods, processed meats, refined grains, and high-fat dairy products.

Five years later, the volunteers completed a questionnaire designed to measure depression symptoms.

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