Research by Rafael Maldonado, Thomas Guegan and Miquel Martín of the Neuropharmacology Lab at the Department of Experimental and Health Sciences (CEXS) at UPF suggests that highly palatable food, that is, pleasant to the palate, can trigger addictive processes similar to those produced by abuse-prone drugs. The results of this survey have just been published in two articles, in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology.

The fact is that in recent years eating habits have changed considerably with a notable increase in high calorie food consumption, especially highly palatable food containing high levels of sugars and saturated fats.

The growing problem in developed countries lies in the alarming increase of overweight and obesity and, in parallel, the main complications caused by obesity, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, mainly due to changes in dietary habits.

Behavioral and neurophysiologic changes in addiction

Addiction to abuse-prone drugs is characterized by deep alterations including increased impulsivity and the loss of control over consumption, as well as repeated searching for the drug. These behavioral changes are accompanied by changes in the activity and the neuronal plasticity of concrete areas of the brain, mainly in the limbic system and the frontal cortex. These brain areas are directly implied in controlling emotions and taking decisions

The recent work carried out in the CEXS Neuropharmacology Lab at UPF, shows that behavioral changes present in animal models trained to obtain highly palatable food, are linked with a loss of control and an increase in impulsivity, similar to that present in individuals who have developed a drug addiction.

Furthermore, researchers have established that these animals present modifications in neuronal connections and the activity of the cerebral cortex and the limbic system, the same structures that suffer alterations in plasticity during drug addiction processes.

As stated by professor Rafael Maldonado, "highly palatable food induces an increase in the number of synapses and dendidritic ramifications.

This is relevant because these studies have shown for the first time that food can produce morphological changes in neurons and alterations in behavior control. The same neurochemical systems are involved as those implied in the neurophysiologic changes induced by drug abuse, cannabinoid CB1 receptors and the ERK intracellular signaling system, responsible for the neuronal plasticity changes and behavior control induced by highly palatable foods.

Reference works:

Guegan T, Cutando L, Ayuso E, Santini E, Fisone G, Bosch F, Martinez A, Valjent E, Maldonado R, Martin M. (2012), "Operant behavior to obtain palatable food modifies neuronal plasticity in the brain reward circuit", European Neuropsychopharmacology, en premsa, 17 d'abril.

Guegan T, Cutando L, Gangarossa G, Santini E, Fisone G, Martinez A, Valjent E, Maldonado R, Martin M. "Operant behavior to obtain palatable food modifies ERK activity in the brain reward circuit" (2012), European Neuropsychopharmacology, en premsa, 17 d'abril.