{"id":504329,"date":"2026-02-28T02:23:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T02:23:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/504329\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T02:23:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T02:23:09","slug":"ultraprocessed-foods-may-be-as-addictive-as-cigarettes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/504329\/","title":{"rendered":"Ultraprocessed Foods May Be As Addictive As Cigarettes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ImageShare on Pinterest<\/a>New research shows that ultraprocessed foods may be as addictive as cigarettes. Image Credit: Alexander Spatari\/Getty ImagesA recent review found that ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) may be as addictive as tobacco products. The researchers found that UPFs are designed to heighten reward and accelerate the delivery of reinforcing ingredients.The \u201caddictive\u201d quality of these foods means they drive compulsive consumption and disrupt appetite regulation. The review authors suggest that ultraprocessed foods should be subject to regulations similar to those for tobacco products. <\/p>\n

Currently, there is no single universal definition of ultraprocessed foods. Some people define them as foods that contain ingredients you would not find<\/a> in your kitchen cupboards, such as emulsifiers<\/a> and additives. <\/p>\n

Many professionals use the NOVA classification<\/a> to define ultraprocessed foods. This talks about foods that contain \u201cformulations of ingredients, mostly of exclusive industrial use, typically created by a series of industrial techniques and processes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree with this study, as ultra-processed foods are specifically engineered to be highly appealing to most individuals,\u201d Mir Ali<\/a>, MD, bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, who was not involved in the research, told Healthline. <\/p>\n

Research from 2023<\/a> estimates that over 73% of the foods in the United States are ultraprocessed. <\/p>\n

\u201cCigarettes and UPFs [ultraprocessed foods] are not simply natural products but highly engineered delivery systems designed specifically to maximize biological and psychological reinforcement and habitual overuse,\u201d noted the new study\u2019s research team from Harvard, Duke, and the University of Michigan. <\/p>\n

The review synthesized findings from addiction, public health history, and nutrition in order to identify sensory and structural features that increase the reinforcing potential of both cigarettes and ultraprocessed foods. <\/p>\n

\u201cNot everyone is \u2018addicted\u2019 to these foods, but for a meaningful minority, they trigger classic addiction-like patterns: strong cravings, loss of control, and continued use despite negative health effects,\u201d said Michelle Routhenstein<\/a>, preventive cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished, who was not involved in the study.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese foods are deliberately engineered with refined carbs<\/a>, added fats, salt, and flavor enhancers to maximize reward and repeat consumption, and the industry uses aggressive marketing tactics, especially targeting children,\u201d she told Healthline.<\/p>\n

The researchers focused on five key areas: <\/p>\n

delivery speedhedonic engineering, or designing foods to be irresistibly gooddose optimizationenvironmental ubiquitydeceptive reformulation, or \u201chealth washing\u201d <\/p>\n

They found that, like cigarettes, ultraprocessed foods are fine-tuned to deliver the right dose of sugar<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cRefined carbohydrates stimulate dopamine<\/a> release via the vagus nerve<\/a>, whereas fats do so through intestinal lipid sensing,\u201d the researchers wrote. <\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 UPFs with high levels of refined carbohydrates<\/a> and added fats are some of the most potently rewarding substances in the modern diet. Notably, this refined carbohydrate-fat combination is almost nonexistent in nature.\u201d<\/p>\n

The way these foods rapidly deliver \u201cfeel-good\u201d chemicals to the brain makes them potentially addictive, similarly to cigarettes. <\/p>\n

The review noted that while cigarettes are engineered to deliver nicotine quickly, ultraprocessed foods are engineered to rapidly digest and absorb, as they typically have little to no fiber. This makes it easier for the body to process fat and sugar more quickly. <\/p>\n

The researchers also explain that ultraprocessed foods give intentional flavor bursts that fade quickly and textures that melt in your mouth. This all helps to deliver more dopamine and encourages you to eat more. <\/p>\n

According to the review, both the tobacco and food industries have long used a strategy called \u201chealth washing.\u201d <\/p>\n

This is where products are marketed and reformulated to create an illusion of reduced harm while preserving the core of their addictive properties. <\/p>\n

Health washing in the tobacco industry gained traction in the 1950s with the introduction of filters on cigarettes. <\/p>\n

These were marketed as protective innovations that would trap tar and particles before they reached the lungs. In reality, filters offer little meaningful benefit. <\/p>\n

However, people typically adapted by inhaling deeper or smoking more frequently, which offset any reduction in toxin exposure. <\/p>\n

The food industry has taken a similar approach. It uses labels like \u201clow fat\u201d or \u201csugar-free\u201d to market ultraprocessed foods. <\/p>\n

However, these foods still contain the same highly reinforcing ingredient combinations. The issue is that these reformulations offer a superficial appearance of health while the product\u2019s addictive structure and metabolic harms remain intact. <\/p>\n

The researchers noted at the end of their paper that food and tobacco are not the same thing. <\/p>\n

Still, they cautioned that certain ultraprocessed foods function like highly optimized consumables rather than actual food. They recommended that public health policy should reflect this reality. <\/p>\n

\u201cTobacco provides a warning, and tobacco control provides a source of hope,\u201d the researchers wrote. <\/p>\n

Due to regulations, smoking<\/a> rates in the United States have fallen and have \u201creshaped cultural views of tobacco and eroded trust in the industry.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI believe increased education regarding the negative impact of ultra-processed foods is essential to reduce general consumption and improve public health. The strategies used to reduce cigarette consumption have been effective and may be a helpful model for ultra-processed foods as well,\u201d said Ali. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think UPFs [ultraprocessed foods] should be regulated exactly like cigarettes, but they do warrant stronger, tobacco-inspired policies: marketing restrictions, clear front-of-package labeling, tighter standards on health claims, and limits in schools or hospitals,\u201d added Routhenstein.<\/p>\n

The researchers reminded people that minimally processed and unprocessed foods have sustained human health for millennia. <\/p>\n

\u201cLegal action against health damages and misleading health claims, restrictions on UPF advertising, taxation of nutrient-poor UPFs, markedly reducing UPFs in schools and hospitals, and clearer labeling of ultraprocessing could all serve as next steps,\u201d they noted. <\/p>\n

\u201cPolicies that confront UPFs with the same seriousness that once applied to tobacco, while actively promoting real food, offer the most promising path out of the current crisis.\u201d <\/p>\n

Routhenstein agreed and told Healthline that public policy should expand access to fresh, minimally processed foods. This is especially true in lower-income neighborhoods, she explained. Access could be expanded through subsidies, support for local markets and grocery stores, and school or workplace programs. <\/p>\n

\u201cMaking real food affordable and convenient reduces reliance on UPFs and addresses structural barriers that drive unhealthy eating patterns,\u201d Routhenstein said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Share on PinterestNew research shows that ultraprocessed foods may be as addictive as cigarettes. Image Credit: Alexander Spatari\/Getty…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":504330,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[49,48,84,395],"class_list":["post-504329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-health","tag-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=504329"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504329\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/504330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=504329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=504329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=504329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}