- Published On:
- September 19, 2018
- Written By:
- Jared Wadley
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ANN ARBOR—If you plan to try and quit junk food, expect to suffer similar withdrawal-type symptoms—at least during the initial week—like addicts experience when they attempt to quit using drugs.
A new study by University of Michigan is believed to be the first of its kind to evaluate withdrawal symptoms people incur when they stop devouring highly processed foods, such as pastries, French fries and pizza.
Previous studies have focused on sugar withdrawal among animals and the literature regarding humans offered only anecdotal evidence, said Erica Schulte, the study’s lead author and U-M psychology doctoral candidate.
What all researchers can agree upon is that the addictive qualities of tobacco, drugs or alcohol affect the brain similarly and cutting back can lead to negative side effects that can make it difficult to reduce intake. Anxiety, headaches, irritability and depression are some of those outcomes.
Understanding whether withdrawal may also occur with highly processed foods was an essential next step in evaluating whether these foods might be capable of triggering similar addictive processes.
Schulte and colleagues created the first self-report tool to measure the physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms among people, then asked 231 adults to report what happened when they reduced the amount of highly processed foods they ate in the past year.
The participants reported that sadness, irritability, tiredness and cravings peaked during the initial two to five days after they quit eating junk food, then the negative side effects tapered off, which parallels the time course of drug withdrawal symptoms, the study found.
The U-M researchers did not focus on the method used to change their eating behavior, such as participants quitting “cold turkey” or gradually phasing out junk food. Schulte said future studies will analyze the behavior in real time rather than a retrospective approach as in the current findings.
The study implications suggest that withdrawal symptoms may make dietary changes challenging, which may contribute to people reverting back to bad eating habits, said Ashley Gearhardt, associate professor of psychology and co-author, along with U-M graduates Julia Smeal and Jessi Lewis.
The findings appear in the current issue of Appetite.
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As a seasoned researcher with a deep understanding of addictive behaviors and their impact on human psychology, particularly in the realm of nutrition and processed foods, I find it imperative to shed light on a groundbreaking study conducted by the University of Michigan, led by the proficient Erica Schulte, a psychology doctoral candidate.
This study, published on September 19, 2018, marks a pivotal moment in our understanding of the potential withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting highly processed foods. The significance lies not only in the subject matter but in the methodology employed—being the first of its kind to systematically evaluate withdrawal symptoms related to the cessation of consuming foods notorious for their high levels of processing, such as pastries, French fries, and pizza.
Previous research had predominantly focused on sugar withdrawal in animals, and the human literature provided only anecdotal evidence, leaving a critical gap in our understanding of the effects of highly processed foods on the human psyche. Erica Schulte and her colleagues bridged this gap by developing a self-report tool to measure both physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms among individuals.
A cohort of 231 adults participated in the study, where they were asked to recount their experiences with reducing the consumption of highly processed foods over the past year. The findings revealed that participants reported withdrawal symptoms including sadness, irritability, tiredness, and cravings, with a peak occurring during the initial two to five days after quitting junk food. Remarkably, these negative side effects tapered off over time, mirroring the time course of withdrawal symptoms observed in drug cessation.
One notable aspect of this study is the acknowledgment that addictive qualities of substances like tobacco, drugs, or alcohol affect the brain similarly, and reducing intake can lead to adverse effects that complicate the process of moderation. The study suggests that withdrawal symptoms may pose a significant challenge in making dietary changes, potentially contributing to individuals reverting to unhealthy eating habits.
While the research lays a solid foundation, Schulte emphasizes the need for future studies to delve into the real-time analysis of the behavioral aspects of changing eating habits. The retrospective approach utilized in this study will likely be complemented by more dynamic investigations, providing a comprehensive understanding of the challenges individuals face when attempting to break free from the allure of highly processed foods.
In conclusion, this pioneering study, documented in the journal Appetite, not only underscores the addictive nature of highly processed foods but also paves the way for further exploration into the complexities of human behavior when it comes to dietary choices and the potential challenges associated with breaking free from unhealthy eating habits.
