The ability of highly processed food intake to alter emotional states is consistent with evidence that intake of highly processed foods engages reward and pleasure systems in a manner akin to addictive substances.

Pepperdine University

Highly processed food intake predicted greater positive emotions (enthusiastic and happy) immediately after eating and one hour later. However, there were no significant associations between highly processed food intake and positive emotions three hours later.

Positive Emotions after Highly Processed Food Intake

Highly processed food intake was not associated with negative emotions (afraid and distressed) immediately after eating. However, some highly processed food intake (sweet high-fat foods, non-alcoholic sugary drinks) predicted lower negative emotions one hour later.

Negative Emotions after Highly Processed Food Intake

Cummings, J. R., Schiestl, E. T., Tomiyama, A. J., Mamtora, T., & Gearhardt, A. N. (2022). Highly processed food intake and immediate and future emotions in everyday life. Appetite, 169, 105868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105868

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

Highly Processed Food Addiction Symptom

Comfort eating is eating as a way to soothe negative emotions. Research showed that eating sweet high-fat food can blunt the activity in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), a neuroendocrine system that in humans has been shown to regulate psychological processes, including negative emotions.

Learn Before

Related