Junk Food

Junk food is a very common word we use every day while getting concerned about our diet before eating one of them. No doubt they are tasty and pocket friendly but they cause harm not only to our stomach but also to our brain. Junk foods typically contain high levels of calories from sugar or fat with little protein, vitamins or minerals.

Foods commonly considered junk foods include salted snack foods, gum, candy, sweet, desserts, fried fat food and sugary carbonated beverages. Many foods such as hamburgers and pizza can be considered either healthy or junk food depending on their ingredients and preparation methods. The more highly processed items usually fall under the junk food category.

In a study published in the journal Physiology & Behaviour, researchers at UCLA found that rats fed a diet low in fat but high in simple sugars and refined flour were not only more obese than rats that had a better diet, but also less willing to work for a reward. A study by Paul Johnson and Paul Kenny at the Scripps Research Institute in 2008 suggested that junk food consumption alters brain activity in a manner similar to addictive drugs like cocaine and heroine. After many weeks with unlimited access to junk food, the pleasure centres of rat brains became desensitized, requiring more food for pleasure. After the junk food was taken away and replaced with a healthy diet, the rats starved for two weeks instead of eating nutritious fare!

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