The Junk Food (term used for the first time in 1972 by M. Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in The Public Interest of Washington) that is the junk foodindicates a category of food considered unhealthy for the human being, as characterized by a poor nutritional value and a high energy supply, lipids, cholesterol and carbohydrates. Attributable to this type of food we find hamburger, hot dogs, french fries, soft drinks.
THE junk foods They are therefore a perfect combination of salt, sugar and fats in order to create hyper-filed, a new and amplified sensitivity of the taste, which excites the brain.
Numerous studies show that eating junk food can lead to the onset of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity ‘and increased depression.
This is demonstrated by a study carried out by a team of scholars from the Montreal University and subsequently published in the International Journal of Obesity.
The aforementioned study, led by Stephanie Fulton, underlined that the junk food Change the brain to such an extent that stopping eating can trigger depressive symptoms As a diet based on garbage, it influences some brain circuits and precisely those related to the reward mechanism.
Also, as pointed out by S.Fulton, change the diet causes Symptoms of abstinence It is a greater sensitivity to stressful situations because the consumption of junk food alters the levels of the molecules associated with depression. This phenomenon establishes a vicious circle of incorrect nutrition.
The study was conducted on two groups of mice. The first group were administered high -fat foods for six weeks, while a more balanced diet was reserved for the second group of mice.
After six weeks the mice of the first group were not only fattened, but also presented a greater activation of CreB, a protein known to have an active importance in the dopamine productionwhich is the basis of the reward mechanisms.
By increasing the calories of the diet, dopamine also increases. In addition, in this group of mice, researchers also detected an increase in corticosterone levels, hormone associated with stress.
In fact, the research emerges that after six weeks these mice showed anxious behaviors and were more sensitive to stress. When the junk food was removed from the mice, the characteristics described above were accentuated to such an extent as to lead to depression.
