Quitting Junk Food Produces Same Withdrawal Symptoms As Quitting Drugs- Study

Quitting junk food can be as tough as quitting drugs or smoking. A new study claims quitting junk food produces withdrawal symptoms similar to those experienced when quitting drugs.

According to the new research study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, people who try to quit junk foods like burgers or pizzas experience the same sadness and depression that drug users experience through when they try to quit. As highly processed foods, such as pastries, French fries and pizza are addictive to the brain, it is much harder for people to change their diet than previously thought.

For the purpose of the study, the researchers quizzed some 231 adults about how they felt when they cut down on the number of highly processed foods in their diet during the year-long experiment. The study participants reported experiencing feelings of sadness, irritability, tiredness, and cravings, during the initial two to five days after they quit eating junk food.

The researchers found that the side-effects began to fade away after the first five days, which is similar to what happens with drug addicts.

The study, however, did not take into account the methods the participants used to cut down on junk food, for example going cold turkey or gradually reducing the amount of processed food in the diet. So, Dr. Gearhardt and her team have called for more research to measure the effects of withdrawal as they happen in real-time.

The research team concluded that as per the findings the withdrawal symptoms experienced after quitting junk food makes it challenging to make dietary improvements, which may ultimately contribute to people going back to their old, unhealthy eating habits.

The new research findings have been published in the journal Appetite.