Research papers in Frontiers in Psychiatry

UPFA is a chronic condition involving the brain’s reward circuits, genetics, environment, and personal life experiences. Individuals with UPFA consume certain foods compulsively, obsess about food, and persist in these behaviors despite negative health and social consequences. It shares key symptoms with substance use disorders, such as:

• Cravings

• Loss of control

• Tolerance

• Withdrawal

• Continued use despite harm

1. Hijacking the Reward System: UPFs are designed to hit the "bliss point" of sugar, fat, and salt, releasing dopamine. Over time, more is needed for the same effect, mimicking substance addiction.

2. Rapid Nutrient Absorption: Refined ingredients cause spikes and crashes in blood sugar, reinforcing cravings and overeating.

3. Loss of Satiety Signals: UPFs lack nutrients like fiber and protein, leading to overconsumption without feeling full.

4. Engineered Cravings: Additives and "melt-in-your-mouth" textures make these foods irresistible, bypassing natural satiety mechanisms.

5. Emotional Eating: UPFs are marketed as comfort foods, reinforcing their use during stress or boredom.

6. Disrupted Gut-Brain Communication: UPFs harm gut health, affecting mood, cravings, and the gut-brain axis.

Ultra Processed Food Addiction (UPFA) is a chronic disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment and an individual’s life experiences. People with UPFA use food in a way similar to drugs of abuse, obsess about food, and/or engage in eating behaviours that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful medical and biopsychosocial consequences."  

Ultra-processed food addiction is a distinct disorder characterized by the typical symptoms of substance use disorders, such as cravings, tolerance, loss of control, withdrawal, and continued use despite negative consequences, in relation to certain foods. There is a growing body of research and clinical experience concerning the biochemistry of the condition, the differentiation from other disorders, and the clinical assessment and intervention protocols which warrant further study.

Similar to other substance use disorders drug food addiction alters neurochemistry and neuroanatomy, distorting thinking around food and leading to compulsive eating despite health consequences. 

People with Ultra-processed food addiciton may:

• Overeat despite knowing the risks

• Obsess over food preparation and meals

• Fail repeatedly to cut back on food intake

• Feel guilt or shame about their eating behaviors

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