Sethi Dalai, S., Sinha, A., & Gearhardt, A. N. (2020). Low carbohydrate ketogenic therapy as a metabolic treatment for binge eating and ultraprocessed food addiction. Current opinion in endocrinology, diabetes, and obesity, 27(5), 275—282.https://doi.org/10.1097/MED.00000000000005711 Binge eating and ultra-processed food addiction symptoms may be a result of changes in neurobiological and metabolic pathways triggered by specific foods, particularly processed foods with high levels of refined carbohydrates combined with fat. New keys to treating these modern-day illnesses of disordered eating may lie in avoiding unnatural levels of sugar in ultra-processed foods, refined carbohydrates and high glycemic index foods. This would in turn prevent unnecessary blood glucose spikes and dips, insulin fluctuations and other metabolic hormones that play a large role in the development of binge eating/overeating, exacerbations of hunger and addictive-like neurochemical andbehavioural responses. These conditions are associated with numerous metabolic abnormalities, including inflammation, insulin resistance, obesity and T2DM. The ketogenic diet has been shown to be an effective treatment for obesity, T2DM and paediatric epilepsy. Several advantages of a low carbohydrate ketogenic diet include beneficial effects onbrain metabolism, appetite-satiety signalling, neurotransmission and stabilization of brain networks and blood sugar. sethidalai2020lowcarb .pdf
Relationship of IGF-1 and IGF-Binding Proteins to Disease Severity and Glycemia in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Stanley TL, Fourman LT, Zheng I, McClure CM, Feldpausch MN, Torriani M, Corey KE, Chung RT, Lee H, Kleiner DE, Hadigan CM, Grinspoon SK Relationship of IGF-1 and IGF-Binding Proteins to Disease Severity and Glycemia in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Jan 23;106(2):e520-e533. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaa792 PMID: 33125080 Clinical Trial. Hepatic IGF1 mRNA was significantly lower in individuals with higher steatosis and NAFLD Activity Score (NAS) and was inversely related to glucose parameters, independent of circulating IGF-1. Among the IGFBP‟s, IGFBP2 and IGFBP4 were lower and IGFBP6 and IGFBP7 (also known as IGFBP-related protein 1) higher with increasing steatosis. Hepatic IGFBP6 and IGFBP7 mRNA were positively associated with NAS. IGFBP7 mRNA increased with increasing fibrosis. Hepatic IGFBP1 mRNA was inversely associated with glycemia and insulin resistance, with opposite relationships present for IGFBP3 and IGFBP7. GHRH increased circulating IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3, but decreased IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-6. These data demonstrate novel relationships of IGF-1 and IGFBPs with NAFLD severity and glucose control, with divergent roles seen for different IGFBPs. Moreover, the data provide new information on the complex effects of GHRH on IGFBPs. stanley2020 .pdf
Addiction and its reward process through polymorphisms of the D2 dopamine receptor gene: a review
Noble, E. P. (2000). Addiction and its reward process through polymorphisms of the D2 dopamine receptor gene: a review. European Psychiatry, 15(2), 79–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0924-9338(00)00208-X From the research article’s abstract: “Since 1990, association studies have amassed strong evidence implicating the D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) gene in alcoholism. Specifically, the Taql A minor (A1) allele of the DRD2 gene has been associated with alcoholism. The DRD2 gene has also been found to be involved in other substance use disorders including cocaine, nicotine and opioid dependence, and obesity. Beyond association studies, pharmacologic studies have shown reduced brain D2 dopamine receptor numbers in A1+ allele carriers (A1A1 and A1A2 genotypes) compared to A1– allele carriers (A2A2 genotype). Through a number of other approaches, different phenotypes have also been identified in subjects with the A1+ and A1– alleles. These include metabolic, neurophysiological, neuropsychological, personality, stress and treatment studies.
Associations of food addiction with metabolic control, medical complications and depression among patients with type 2 diabetes
Nicolau, J., Romerosa, J. M., Rodríguez, I., Sanchís, P., Bonet, A., Arteaga, M., Fortuny, R., & Masmiquel, L. (2020). Associations of food addiction with metabolic control, medical complications and depression among patients with type 2 diabetes. Acta Diabetologica, 57(9), 1093–1100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-020-01519-3 From the research article’s abstract: “Food addiction (FA) is conceptualized as a behavioral pattern that is similar in some ways to addictions to alcohol and other substances. This disorder has not been well studied among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We aimed to analyze if there is any relationship between FA and clinical or psychological variables among patients with T2DM. Three hundred patients with T2DM were analyzed cross-sectionally. Participants were evaluated for the presence of FA by completing the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 questionnaire. 29.3% of patients screened positive for FA. Patients with FA had a greater BMI (33.41 ± 7.5 vs. 31.6 ± 5.9 kg/m2; p = 0.04). HbA1c was higher among individuals with FA (7.9 ± 4.4 vs. 7.6 ± 1.4%, p = 0.008).
Comparison of women with high vs. low food addiction tendency: a pilot study with voxel-based morphometry
Schienle, A., Unger, I., & Wabnegger, A. (2020). Comparison of women with high vs. low food addiction tendency: a pilot study with voxel-based morphometry. Journal of Eating Disorders, 8, 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-020-00288-2 From the research article’s abstract: “Background: The concept of ‘food addiction’ (FA) posits that highly processed food with added fat and/or refined carbohydrates is capable of triggering addictive-like eating behavior. FA may be one possible phenotype in obesity. Methods: The present voxel-based morphometry (VBM) study compared data from three groups of women. One group scored high on the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) and was overweight (n = 21), whereas the two other groups had low YFAS scores and were either overweight (n = 21) or normal-weight (n = 21). Results: Overweight women with high YFAS scores had less grey matter volume (GMV) in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) than overweight women with low FA tendency, who in turn had less GMV in the IFG than the normal-weight group. The IFG is involved in response inhibition, which is relevant for the control of appetite and food intake. In the group with high FA tendency,
Psychosocial Interventions for Food Addiction: A Systematic Review
Cassin, S.E., Sijercic, I. & Montemarano, V. Psychosocial Interventions for Food Addiction: a Systematic Review. Curr Addict Rep 7, 9–19 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-020-00295-y The current systematic review examined the empirical literature on psychosocial interventions for food addiction with the goal of providing recommendations for clinical practice and future research. A PsycINFO and PubMed search of publications was conducted in September 2019. Two authors assessed retrieved titles and abstracts to determine topic relevance and rated the quality of the included studies using an established checklist. Study link
Food Addiction Correlates with Psychosocial Functioning More Than Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Obesity
Kiyici, S., Koca, N., Sigirli, D., Aslan, B. B., Guclu, M., & Kisakol, G. (2020). Food Addiction Correlates with Psychosocial Functioning More Than Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Obesity. Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, 18(3), 161–167. https://doi.org/10.1089/met.2019.0108 From the research article’s abstract: “To investigate the association of food addiction (FA) with the psychosocial functioning and metabolic parameters in obese patients seeking weight-loss treatment. Two hundred twenty-four obese patients (male/female: 28/196) with a mean age of 44.5 ± 13.4 years and body mass index (BMI) of 41.6 ± 7.2 were included in the study. After receiving sociodemographic data and medical history, detailed physical examination, including anthropometric measurements, was performed by an experienced physician. Blood samples were taken after 8–12 hr of fasting. The presence of FA was evaluated by using Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS). Psychological evaluation was performed by using a self-reported Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and health-related quality of life using the 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36). Seventy-two of 224 (32.1%) patients met the criteria for FA, according to YFAS. The mean age of patients with FA was younger compared with patients without FA (P < 0.001).
Food Addiction Correlates with Psychosocial Functioning More Than Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Obesity
Kiyici, S., Koca, N., Sigirli, D., Aslan, B. B., Guclu, M., & Kisakol, G. (2020). Food Addiction Correlates with Psychosocial Functioning More Than Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Obesity. Metabolic syndrome and related disorders, 18(3), 161–167. https://doi.org/10.1089/met.2019.0108 From the research study’s conclusions: “We found that FA frequency was very high in obese patients seeking treatment for weight loss, and it correlates with psychosocial functioning more than metabolic parameters.”
Food Addiction and symptoms of depression among inhabitants of the European North of Russia: Associations with sleep characteristics and photoperiod
Borisenkov, M. F., Popov, S. V., Tserne, T. A., Bakutova, L. A., Pecherkina, A. A., Dorogina, O. I., Martinson, E. A., Vetosheva, V. I., Gubin, D. G., Solovieva, S. V., Turovinina, E. F., & Symanyuk, E. E. (2020). Food addiction and symptoms of depression among inhabitants of the European North of Russia: Associations with sleep characteristics and photoperiod. Eur Eat Disord Rev, 28(3), 332-342. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2728
Determinants of Sweetness Preference: A Scoping Review of Human Studies
Venditti, C., Musa-Veloso, K., Lee, H. Y., Poon, T., Mak, A., Darch, M., Juana, J., et al. (2020). Determinants of Sweetness Preference: A Scoping Review of Human Studies. Nutrients, 12(3), 718. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12030718 From the research article’s abstract: “Factors associated with sweetness preference are multi-faceted and incredibly complex. A scoping review was undertaken to identify determinants of sweetness preference in humans. Using an online search tool, ProQuest ™, a total of 99 publications were identified and subsequently grouped into the following categories of determinants: Age, dietary factors, reproductive hormonal factors, body weight status, heritable, weight loss, sound, personality, ethnicity and lifestyle, previous exposure, disease, and ‘other’ determinants. Methodologies amongst studies were heterogenous in nature (e.g., there was variability across studies in the sweetness concentrations tested, the number of different sweetness concentrations used to assess sweetness preference, and the methods utilized to measure sweetness preference), rendering interpretation of overall findings challenging; however, for certain determinants, the evidence appeared to support predictive capacity of greater sweetness preference, such as age during certain life-stages (i.e., young and old), being in a hungry versus satiated state, and heritable factors (e.g., similar sweetness preferences amongst family members). r.”