Confirmed: Ultra-Processed Food Products Are As Addictive As Smoking

     The human species should be viewed in the same way that we think about how other species are connected to nature.  Each one has certain types of foods that nourish them, and they are definitely not the same for all.  A lion can’t eat grass, while that’s about all cows eat in their natural environment. Chickens don’t eat tomatoes.  Cats don’t eat raisins. 
 
   Humans are radically different.  One defining distinction is that humans can eat just about anything.  What an advantage!  Our species can thrive in Alaska and Hawaii.  We can live just about anywhere on earth in any climate – deserts, mountains, shorelines, valleys, plains, you name it.  The Bajau people live on the ocean around Indonesia in small boats, fishing for a living, only going ashore to buy secondary supplies.
 
     However, that advantage is also our Achilles’ heel, because our bodies still must comply with our basic biology.  Other species typically avoid eating what doesn’t work for their bodies.  We, on the other hand, struggle with it.  Our advantage is also what can be our, literally, fatal flaw:  Globally, lifestyle diseases, primarily diet, are responsible for 63% of deaths.  Please let that sink in.
 
     For such an intelligent species, how can this be?  It literally doesn’t make sense.  While there are many scientific and medical phenomenon in play, one striking reason is that ultra-processed (industrial) foods can be addicting.  Addiction – for any species – defies all logic.  But we must remember that we’re not talking about broccoli.  We’re talking about huge multinational corporations producing industrial products masquerading as actual food.
 
     A registered dietician quoted in the article stated, “For these food companies, the more addictive the food, the greater the profit….Food companies who manufacture these [ultra-processed foods] are gas lighting consumers by trying to deny that these foods are anything other than addictive.”
 
     Here are three big takeaways from the article:
 
     Researchers concluded that ultra-processed (industrial) foods may be as addictive as smoking
 
     Researchers confirmed that these types of foods are high in refined carbohydrates and fats, substances that can cause changes in the brain.
 
     Experts say that ultra-processed foods need to be regulated more strictly because of their
     potential addictive qualities and their impact on the obesity crisis. 

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