Quitting smoking increases weight .. a study that explains the reasons

If you’ve recently quit smoking and recently had a craving for sweet and fatty foods, know that you are not crazy, there is a real reason for it.

The results of a recent study published in the journal “Drug and Alcohol Dependence” revealed that your brain could be the reason you crave more processed foods because they can fill the void provided by nicotine.

Study author Mostafa Al-Absi, a professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Biobehavioural Health at the University of Minnesota, said the study examined the relationship between “acute nicotine withdrawal and increased consumption of fast foods high in salt, fat and sugar and how anti-stress receptors are involved in the opioid system.

To find out why, the researchers conducted an experiment on a group of smokers and non-smokers between the ages of 18 and 75.

Request for unhealthy meals

All participants were asked to quit smoking for 24 hours. They were also given either 50 milligrams of naltrexone (a drug commonly used to treat opioid and alcohol use disorders) or a placebo.

In addition, the researchers pointed out that the reason for the drug is to help balance the calorie intake of smokers to a level consistent with that of the group of non-smokers.

Participants were then asked to choose from a selection of snacks, consisting of nutritious and unhealthy options.

The study found that smokers who did not receive the drug were more likely to have access to unhealthy snacks than non-smokers in the group.

Further, Al-Absi explained, “The results of the study may be linked to the use of foods, especially those that are high in calories, to counteract the negative effects and distress that characterize the feelings that people experience. people experience it when quitting smoking.

Increased stress levels

It is concluded that the results of preclinical and clinical research show that stress levels can increase a person’s craving for foods high in fat and sugar.

Additionally, other research has indicated that consuming junk food can cause a sudden release of dopamine in the brain, similar to that of drugs like nicotine.