For the most part, most people would agree that drugs are bad for you. Usually, they're highly addictive substances that consume every ounce of one's being as they search for their next high.
And apparently, we can now say the same about ice cream.
A study from the University of Michigan looked into the addictive nature of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), such as chips, ice cream, soft drinks, sugary cereal, and other junk foods.
According to the study, which was published in the journal The BMJ, people experience "uncontrollable and excessive consumption, cravings, and continued intake" of UPFs, "despite potential negative health effects."
Eating junk food gives people a nice level of dopamine, the "feel-good hormone." Eventually you crash and crave more junk. Sounds familiar, right?
Professor Ashley Gearhardt who led the study wrote, "The combination of refined carbohydrates and fats often found in UPFs seems to have a supra-additive effect on brain reward systems, above either macronutrient alone, which may increase the addictive potential of these foods."
Author Chris van Tulleken told The Guardian, "Many UPFs for many people are addictive, and when people experience food addiction, it is almost always to UPF products."
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