Highly processed food intake and immediate and future emotions in everyday life

Lifetime stressor exposure is associated with greater rewarding effects of stress-related eating

Acute stressors tend to shift preferences toward comfort foods, yet they do not ubiquitously increase the amount of food consumed. Moreover, although many individuals eat more under stress, others eat less or show no change. Although the precise mechanisms explaining this variability in stress-related eating are unknown, they may be driven by individual differences in the rewarding effects of comfort eating, which are enhanced by greater lifetime stressor exposure. To investigate this possibility, we examined whether differences in lifetime stressor exposure predicted reductions in negative affect following snacking (i.e., negative reinforcement) and if this effect was specific to stress-related snacking or snacking in general. Participants were 26 women (23 % non-White) between 20 and 45 years old (M = 31), with a mean body mass index of 26, who completed three laboratory visits. Participants completed an assessment of lifetime stressor exposure (i.e., STRAIN) on the first visit and, on two subsequent laboratory visits in counterbalanced order, were given snacks after an acute social stress task (i.e., TSST) or rest period. Greater lifetime stressor exposure was related to greater post-ingestive decreases in negative affect following the acute social stressor but not following the rest period. If stress-related eating is more comforting for women with greater lifetime stressors and contributes to a stronger stress-eating association, then this may inform obesity-related clinical treatments that target behaviors and cognitions related to reward-based learning.

Association between depression and ultra-processed food consumption: a population-based study (Vigitel, 2023)

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the association of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption with depression among Brazilian adults (≥18 years).

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Data were obtained from a population-based survey conducted in 2023 (n = 21,690). UPF consumption was investigated using a questionnaire regarding the consumption on the previous day of 13 subgroups of UPF selected from those most consumed in Brazil according to a previous national survey (cutoff score ≥5 subgroups). The medical diagnosis of depression was self-reported. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted (by sex, age, education, presence of partner/spouse, and overweight) Odds Ratio (aOR) of UPF consumption according to the presence of depression. Analyses were conducted for the total population and stratified by sex.

RESULTS

Medical diagnosis of depression was reported by 12.3%. The prevalence of high UPF consumption (≥5 subgroups) was 17.7%, being higher in men (22.0%) and those with depression (19.3%). Depression increased the chance of presenting a high UPF consumption among the total population (aOR 1.35; CI 95% 1.08-1.68) and women (aOR 1.35; CI 95% 1.03-1.77), with no association among men.

CONCLUSION

The presence of depression was associated with greater consumption of UPF among Brazilian adults, especially among the female population. Public health actions to reduce UPF consumption could benefit from targeting this population group.

Factors increasing the risk for food addiction in Ecuadorian students

Background

Food addiction (FA) is a construct that has gained interest in recent years, but its relevance in the Ecuadorian population has not yet been explored. The aims of this study were to explore the differences in the psychological profile (including FA) between university students from Ecuador and to identify the underlying structure of the relationships of the FA severity level through a mediational model.

Methods

The sample consisted of 972 university students, women and men (mean age: 20.1 years old, SD = 2.6), recruited from four Ecuadorian regions. The assessment tools included a unidimensional scale of FA, eating-related measures, emotion regulation state, impulsivity, and psychopathology state. Path analysis modeled the direct and indirect effects explaining the FA severity level.

Results

The results indicated that higher psychopathological levels were associated with FA. Similarly, no differences in FA were observed between the Ecuadorian regions. The path analysis suggested that older age, female sex, and higher difficulties in emotional regulation, impulsivity, negative mood, and anxiety trigger disordered eating; subsequently, more impaired eating behavior impacted the FA level.

Conclusion

FA is a complex clinical entity that includes multiple components related to eating disorders (EDs) and other mental health problems. The results of this study provide empirical knowledge for designing evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies.

Nutrition and Mental Well-Being: Exploring Connections and Holistic Approaches

Quality of life, well-being, and psycho-emotional balance are closely related to the quality of the diet, the level of physical activity, the quality of rest, but also the absence of the consumption of narcotic substances and tobacco, or alcohol abuse. Based on the distribution of a questionnaire that included 30 questions, we aimed to statistically evaluate several factors that influence mental health and vices. It recorded a total of 1719 valid responses, which came from 78.3% female respondents and 21.7% male respondents. After processing the anthropometric data, it was observed that the majority of respondents are of normal weight (63.87%) and come from women in particular (36.13%). Based on the answers recorded, although over 60% of the respondents participating in the study are up to 40 years old, there is an increased tendency towards sedentarism (over 58% of the respondents declaring that they do sports very rarely or not at all), a low tendency regarding optimal consumption of vegetables and fruits, many respondents do not hydrate properly, which is why approximately 60% of respondents feel frequently tired, and over 32% are frequently nervous. The increased level of stress among the respondents and emotional eating are also generated by inadequate rest, reduced physical activity, and a diet that does not help the efficient detoxification of the body.

Compositional profiling and sensory analysis of cauliflower by-products-enriched muffins

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) by-products (leaves, stems, stalks) (CBP) were successfully utilized in muffins as a model system and their feasibility of incorporation was investigated. CBP powder-based muffin formulations were made by the progressive replacement of wheat flour (WF) with 10%, 20%, and 30% of CBP. The physicochemical, pasting properties, antioxidant potential, textural characteristics, and sensorial attributes were analyzed. Substitution of CBP significantly (p < .05) resulted in an upsurge in crude protein, crude fiber, minerals, total phenolics, and total flavonoid contents, as well as total antioxidant activity values of muffins. The pasting properties were influenced by monitoring an increase in peak, breakdown, final, and setback viscosities. Although the addition of an increasing amount of CBP improved the nutritional characteristics, however, the increased level of replacement (>10%) had significant adverse effects on baking and physical characteristics. The specific loaf volume of the developed muffins decreased the crumb color which became darker, and enriched muffins were hardened in texture. Furthermore, sensory evaluation confirmed the positive effects of CBP incorporation only up to 10%. Overall, present results highlighted that supplementation of wheat muffins with 10% CBP is a beneficial approach to enrich them with nutrients and intensify their antioxidant potential.

Ultra-Processed Food, Reward System and Childhood Obesity

Obesity and overweight are a major public health problem globally. Diet quality is critical for proper child development, and an unhealthy diet is a preventable risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as obesity. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in childhood may increase the BMI/BMI z-score, body fat percentage, or likelihood of overweight. A strict feeding regulation system allows for sufficient food to be consumed to meet ongoing metabolic demands while avoiding overconsumption. This narrative review explores the issues of obesity and the regulation of food intake related to reward systems and UPF consumption. Nutrient composition alone cannot explain the influence of UPFs on the risk of obesity. Furthermore, the non-nutritional properties of UPFs may explain the mechanisms underlying the relationship with obesity and NCDs. UPFs are designed to be highly palatable, appealing, and energy dense with a unique combination of the main taste enhancer ingredients to generate a strong rewarding stimulus and influence the circuits related to feeding facilitation. How individual UPF ingredients influence eating behavior and reward processes remains not fully elucidated. To increase the knowledge on the relationship between UPFs and pediatric obesity, it may be useful to limit the rapid growth in the prevalence of obesity and subsequent related complications, and to develop new strategies for appropriate food and nutrition policies.

Highly processed foods can be considered addictive substances based on established scientific criteria

BACKGROUND

There is growing evidence that an addictive-eating phenotype may exist. There is significant debate regarding whether highly processed foods (HPFs; foods with refined carbohydrates and/or added fats) are addictive. The lack of scientifically grounded criteria to evaluate the addictive nature of HPFs has hindered the resolution of this debate.

ANALYSIS

The most recent scientific debate regarding a substance's addictive potential centered around tobacco. In 1988, the Surgeon General issued a report identifying tobacco products as addictive based on three primary scientific criteria: their ability to (1) cause highly controlled or compulsive use, (2) cause psychoactive (i.e. mood-altering) effects via their effect on the brain and (3) reinforce behavior. Scientific advances have now identified the ability of tobacco products to (4) trigger strong urges or craving as another important indicator of addictive potential. Here, we propose that these four criteria provide scientifically valid benchmarks that can be used to evaluate the addictiveness of HPFs. Then, we review the evidence regarding whether HPFs meet each criterion. Finally, we consider the implications of labeling HPFs as addictive.

CONCLUSION

Highly processed foods (HPFs) can meet the criteria to be labeled as addictive substances using the standards set for tobacco products. The addictive potential of HPFs may be a key factor contributing to the high public health costs associated with a food environment dominated by cheap, accessible and heavily marketed HPFs.

No association of the dopamine D2 receptor genetic bilocus score (rs1800497/rs1799732) on food addiction and food reinforcement in Chilean adults

Purpose: Different systems regulate food intake. In the reward system, dopamine (DA) is the main neurotransmitter, and a variety of genetic variants (rs1799732 and rs1800497) are associated with addiction. Addiction is a highly polygenic disease, where each allelic variant adds a small amount of vulnerability. Polymorphisms rs1799732 and rs1800497 are associated with eating behavior and hedonic hunger, but links to food addiction remain unclear.

Aim: To evaluate the association between the bilocus profile (rs1799732-rs1800497) of the dopaminergic pathway with food reinforcement and food addiction in Chilean adults.

Methods: A cross-sectional study recruited a convenience sample of 97 obese, 25 overweight, and 99 normal-weight adults (18–35 years). Anthropometric measurements were performed by standard procedures and eating behavior was assessed using the: Food Reinforcement Value Questionnaire (FRVQ) and Yale Food Addiction scale (YFAS). The DRD2 genotypes were determined by TaqMan assays (rs1800497 and rs1799732). A bilocus composite score was calculated.

Results: In the normal weight group, individuals who were heterozygous for the rs1977932 variant (G/del) showed higher body weight (p-value 0.01) and abdominal circumference (p-value 0.01) compared to those who were homozygous (G/G). When analyzing rs1800497, a significant difference in BMI was observed for the normal weight group (p-value 0.02) where heterozygous showed higher BMI. In the obese group, homozygous A1/A1 showed higher BMI in comparison to A1/A2 and A2/A2 (p-value 0.03). Also, a significant difference in food reinforcement was observed in the rs1800497, where homozygous for the variant (A1A1) show less reinforcement (p-value 0.01).In relation to the bilocus score in the total sample, 11% showed “very low dopaminergic signaling”, 24.4% were “under”, 49.7% showed “intermediate signaling”, 12.7% showed “high” and 1.4% showed “very high”. No significant genotypic differences were observed in food reinforcement and food addiction by bilocus score.

Conclusions: The results indicate that the genetic variants rs1799732 and rs1800497 (Taq1A) were associated with anthropometric measurements but not with food addiction or food reinforcement in Chilean university students. These results suggest that other genotypes, such as rs4680 and rs6277, which affect DA signaling capacity through a multilocus composite score, should be studied. Level V: Evidence obtained from a cross-sectional descriptive study.