Abstract
(1) Background: Research suggests that certain foods may have addictive effects; however, no reviews have systematically appraised studies in this area. The aims of this review were to determine the nutrients, foods and dietary patterns associated with addictive eating. (2) Methods: Published studies up to November 2020 were identified through searches of 6 electronic databases. Eligible studies included those in in children and adults that reported dietary intakes of individuals with ‘food addiction’. (3) Results: Fifteen studies (n = 12 in adults and n = 3 in children/adolescents with Yale Food Addiction Scale defined ‘food addiction’) were included. Foods commonly associated with addictive eating were those high in a combination of fat and refined carbohydrates. Generally, intakes of energy, carbohydrates and fats were significantly higher in individuals with addictive eating compared to those without. (4) Conclusions: Due to the heterogeneity in study methodologies and outcomes across included studies, it is difficult to conclude if any specific foods, nutrients or dietary patterns facilitate an addictive process. Further research is needed to elucidate potential associations. However, present addictive eating treatment approaches could incorporate individualised dietary advice targeting foods high in fat and refined carbohydrates.
Highlights
A growing body of evidence suggests that there are behavioral, neurobiological, and genetic overlaps between the consumption of certain foods and addiction-related disorders [1,2,3,4]
This systematic review aimed to synthesise published studies assessing nutrients, foods and dietary patterns associated with addictive eating in children and adults
Two sets of terms were used for the search strategy, (1) terms relating to addictive eating; and (2) terms relating to dietary intake
Summary
A growing body of evidence suggests that there are behavioral, neurobiological, and genetic overlaps between the consumption of certain foods and addiction-related disorders [1,2,3,4]. It has been suggested that certain foods or ingredients may have the potential to facilitate an addictive-like response in susceptible individuals. Ongoing debate centres around if the construct of FA resembles a substance-related disorder that is facilitated by certain ingredients or components in foods, or whether it is better conceptualized as a behavioural addiction, whereby it is the compulsive overconsumption of a variety of foods irrespective of nutritional composition As it has been posited that addictive-like eating may have the potential to facilitate overeating and weight gain in certain individuals [2], it is important to evaluate whether certain components within foods may trigger an addictive-like response to better inform future FA treatments
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