Food Self

The Science Behind The Addictive Junk Food

The Science Behind The Addictive Junk Food
Source: MSN

Over the past years, junk food production industries have captured a huge space in the market. If you are also a junk food lover, then you must know what makes a person addicted to junk food. After several kinds of research and experiments, people came to know the actual reason behind the addiction. Our brain releases serotonin and dopamine when we consume the salty and crunchy type of foods.

On the other side, there is the easy availability of junk foods in the market. These junk foods are well known in our market as fast food. Some people prefer to consume junk foods because it takes no time to make food for themselves. However, junk foods have a huge lack of good nutrition that can even make your mind dull and physique unhealthy.

Even after knowing so many dark sides of junk foods, why people never give up consuming it. Why have we become so much addictive to these junk foods? Let’s discuss the extraordinary science of junk food.

History of Junk Food

According to the researches, junk foods first came to market in 1893 after the two brothers, Frederick and Louis Rueckheim, started producing popcorn, peanuts, and molasses, which easily captured a huge market. Before that, people used to make food at home and used to consume healthy foods.

The picture of junk foods
The picture of junk foods
Image Source: MSN

As time passed, more people started involving in food industries rather than farms. Only in America, they had their first junk food, Cracker Jack, which hit the market as the best-selling snack by 1916. Till the 1950s, junk food spread all over the United States, and people started ordering burgers and fries. When we reached the 20th century, huge food industries came into existence that focused mainly on children.

What does the Research Say?

Since junk food started touching the peak, people began researching the actual reason for its unexpected growing rate in the market. The food companies have made significant discoveries on the human brain and also have found the essentials for their product to crave certain foods.

Junk foods are very convenient and cheap. When we consume junk foods, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin that gives people a satisfying feeling.

Small kids consuming junk foods
Science of Junk Food: Small kids consuming junk foods
Image Source: The Telegraph

Junk foods like Chips and Crackers are made with salt, vinegar, pepper, cheddar, sour cream, which easily provide the taste. Also, the junk food companies are very much flexible in advertising and promoting their products into the market. The huge consumption of junk food can leave a person with a dull brain and unhealthy physique.

Disadvantages of Junk Food

According to recent researches, people have found more disadvantages of junk food than advantages of it. Junk foods are mostly called as garbage foods. As we said earlier, junk food companies are now focused on kids rather than young peoples. These foods create vast changes in the human body after some seconds from its consumption. Some of the major disadvantages of junk foods are mentioned below:

  1. Junk foods can cause learning and understanding problems.
  2. It decreases the ability of the body to control appetite.
  3. Junk foods decrease our thinking and communicating capacity.
  4. The chemical changes from junk foods can lead a person to depression.
  5. Junk foods increase the risk of dementia.
  6. Overconsumption of junk foods can lead you to a higher risk of obesity and cardiovascular diseases.
  7. It can increase high blood pressure, and there are also chances of heart stroke.
The science of junk food
The science of junk food: Junk food causes the problem of obesity
Image Credit: Junk Food & Obesity

As we can see, there are fewer advantages of junk foods rather than disadvantages. Overconsumption of junk foods could harm our body as well as the brain. So, it’s better to consume healthy and homemade foods to spend a healthy life.

Conclusion: Health Is Wealth

As we all know, there is nothing greater than our health. If we could maintain our physique without the consumption of junk foods, our body could sustain for a long. We can think and act properly in society and between our friend circle.

Although junk food companies have now captured a huge space in the market, we must come up with new ideas of decreasing the high rate of sugar and salt in junk foods. Some food companies have started to adopt new products to provide healthy meals to consumers.

These days the food companies are focusing on the preferences of the consumer. Knowing all this, we must encourage the demand of healthy and affordable products in the market. For more interesting articles, visit Wikye.

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