Food addicts and their drugs

April 5, 2011 on 2:22 pm | In Aging well, Boomer Health Issues, Brain Fitness, Brain plasticity, Depression and aging, Diabetes, Diet and Aging, Drug addiction, Health Psychology, Improvements in health care, Learning from our elders | Comments Off

The brains of food addicts show the same reaction when they anticipate eating as drug addicts show when they anticipate using.

The brains of people addicted to either food or drugs, have a higher release of dopamine (a happiness-inducing brain chemical) in a part of the brain called the mesolimbic system.   This brain area is in charge of the reward reinforcement process, which is responsible for the pleasurable feelings we get from things like food and sex, keeping us coming back for more.

Learn more here, and in a previous article on how truly addictive junk food can be!

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