Abuse potential of carbohydrates for overweight carbohydrate cravers

Abstract

Rationale-The long-rejected construct of food addiction is undergoing re-examination. Objectives-.To evaluate whether a novel carbohydrate food shows abuse potential for rigorously defined carbohydrate cravers, as evidenced by selective self-administration and mood enhancement during double-blind discrimination testing.Methods-Discrete trials choice testing was performed with 61 overweight (BMI m=27.64, SD=2.59) women (ages 18-45; 19.70% African American) whose diet records showed >4 weekly afternoon/evening emotional eating episodes confined to snacks with carbohydrate:protein ≥ 6:1. After being induced into a sad mood, participants were exposed, double-blind and in counterbalanced order, to taste-matched carbohydrate and protein beverages. They were asked to choose and selfadminister the drink that made them feel better.Results-Women overwhelmingly chose the carbohydrate beverage, even though blinded. Mixedeffects regression modeling, controlling for beverage order, revealed greater liking and greater reduction in dysphoria following the carbohydrate beverage compared to the protein beverage, but no differential effect on vigor.Conclusion-For women who crave them, carbohydrates appear to display abuse potential, plausibly contributing to overconsumption and overweight.

Does Food Addiction Exist? A Phenomenological Discussion Based on the Psychiatric Classification of Substance-Related Disorders and Addiction

“…These experiments [e.g. [70], however, do not overcome methodological flaws and do not point toward a systemic rewarding effect of specific carbohydrates. …”

Medical Training to Achieve Competency in Lifestyle Counseling: An Essential Foundation for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases and Other Chronic Medical Conditions: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

“…Primary reinforcers such as tobacco, other substances, and even appealing foods trigger the brain's reward circuitry quite directly, enabling contextual cues to ingrain behavioral habits that become very challenging to change. [49][50][51] The person who is trying not to smoke or overeat faces an ambivalent choice between responding to an immediately available, potent reward versus delaying gratification to stave off long-term adverse health consequences. 52 Social cognitive theory, the dominant contemporary theory of health behavior, credits people with having cognitive and social resources to cope with such challenges.…”

Dependence module of the MINI plus adapted for sugar dependence: psychometric properties

“…A number of studies address issues related to the excessive intake of sweets and the possible association to abuse and dependence (Avena, Rada, & Hoebel, 2008;Kampov-Polevoy et al, 2006). Some authors have reported evidence of comorbidity between substance abuse and excessive desire ("craving") or preference for solutions with high concentrations of sucrose (Avena et al, 2008;Janowsky, Pucilowski, & Buyinza, 2003;Kampov-Polevoy et al, 2006;Pelchat, 2002;Spring et al, 2008). Tobacco studies have shown that sugar may attenuate tobacco craving and withdrawal symptoms (Berlin, Vorspan, Warot, Maneglier, & SpreuxVaroquaux, 2005).…”