Advances in the Neurobiology of Food Addiction

Abstract

To summarize recent neurobiological evidence for (1) the addictive potential of ultra-processed foods and (2) the utility of food addiction, defined by behavioral criteria, as a clinically meaningful type of disordered eating. Ultra-processed foods appear to be capable of triggering biobehavioral mechanisms associated with addiction (e.g., dopaminergic sensitization, enhanced motivation), whereas naturally occurring foods do not appear to produce addictive-like responses. Neuroimaging studies have elucidated parallel mechanisms in food addiction and substance-use disorders, including dopaminergic dysfunction, emotion dysregulation, and impulsivity. Emerging data has also suggested biological distinctions for individuals with food addiction evident by the brain-gut-microbiome connection, hormones, and genetics. Existing evidence has yielded convincing findings for overlapping features of ultra-processed foods and drugs of abuse. Preliminary findings from neurobiological studies of individuals with food addiction have revealed similar neural pathways triggered by food and related stimuli as observed in prior studies of persons with substance-use disorders.