The ever controversial Food addiction could be real according a research conducted at Boston’s Children’s Hospital. The research that was based on brain scans suggested that processed carbohydrates can lead to hunger and more cravings for food.

The study reveals that cutting down on such highly processed carbohydrate foods can help reduce the craving for food in overweight, obese people. Pleasure centers in the brain that contain dopamine hugely effect the food consumption as these centers are responsible for causing the brain to ask for more food. This is the very center that causes the craving for drug and therefore, researchers are wondering if it would lead to the hunger for some addictive foods.

Researchers observed the brain activity during a four hour period following a meal. They came to conclude that the activity of the brain during this period greatly impacts the desire for eating behavior for the next meal. To test food addiction, the researchers performed a test on a dozen obese men who were given test meals that looked like milkshakes. Of two types of milkshakes that were administered, one of them contained quickly digesting carbohydrate while the other contained slowly digesting carbohydrate. After they consumed the drink, their blood sugar levels increased abruptly and went down after four hours leading to excessive hunger and food addiction.

Although the researchers aren’t quite sure on the validity of the idea of food addiction or fast food addiction, their study suggests may lead to something very profound. They believe that more research needs to be conducted on this topic so that physicians can have more data to analyze food addiction behavior in people. This would prove to be helpful especially to those who are looking for ways to control their weight or trying desperately to get slimmer.