Is Food Addictive?

We don't typically think of food as addictive. Drugs? Sure. Cigarettes? Absolutely. But a warm loaf of bread? A bowl of rice? A glass of milk? It feels strange to put those in the same category. Yet mounting research, and maybe your own lived experience, suggests we might need to reconsider how we view food and our relationship to it. 

So let’s ask a deeper question: are we truly choosing what we eat, or is something else choosing for us? 

When Cravings Speak Louder Than Logic 

If you’ve ever told yourself, “Just one cookie,” only to return for two more within minutes, you’re not alone. Many people experience a strong pull toward certain foods, even when they’re not hungry. This pull isn’t always driven by taste or habit – it can also have a biochemical basis. 

Take sugar for example. When we eat sugary foods, our brain responds with a release of dopamine, the feel-good neurotransmitter. This is the same chemical triggered by other addictive substances, like cocaine. Over time, the brain begins to expect that reward. So, even if you’re not hungry, your brain may prompt you to seek that pleasurable hit again and again. 

What’s surprising is how many other foods can work in a similar way. White bread and rice are quickly turned into glucose. This causes blood sugar spikes and crashes, which can lead to ongoing cravings. The body gets used to these fluctuations, and they can become hard to break. 

The Unexpected Addictions 

While sugar and processed carbs are the obvious culprits, other, less obvious foods can also be quietly addictive. 

Milk contains a protein called casein, which, during digestion, breaks down into casomorphins. Casomorphins are compounds that interact with opioid receptors in the brain. That creamy, comforting feeling after a glass of milk or a cheesy dish? It might be more than just nostalgia. 

Spinach—yes, even spinach—contains peptides called rubiscolins, which are morphine-like compounds capable of binding to opioid receptors in the brain. These compounds have the potential to cause addiction, adding spinach to the list of foods that can influence our brain chemistry in unexpected ways. 

And then there's coffee. Technically a drink, but easily part of our daily food ritual. The dependence many people feel toward caffeine isn’t imagined, it’s a physical addiction. Missing your morning cup can lead to headaches, fatigue, and irritability. The energy boost you get isn’t just helpful, but it’s needed, because the body has adjusted to expect it. 

Why This Matters: The Health Connection 

So why should we care if some foods are a little addictive? Isn’t that just human nature? 

The real concern lies in what these patterns mean over time. If our eating habits are being influenced by subtle addictions, whether it’s sugar, bread, or coffee, we might be setting ourselves up for long-term health challenges. 

Diets high in refined sugars and processed carbohydrates are major contributors to chronic inflammation in the body. This inflammation plays a key role in conditions like cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and even autoimmune diseases. And when addiction is involved, it’s not always a matter of making better choices. It becomes a matter of regaining control. 

The foods we tend to crave the most are often the ones that work against our long-term health. It's a sobering realization. Our food environment, from what's placed on store shelves to what's promoted in advertisements and made most convenient, can quietly guide us into habits that feel good in the moment but may be harmful over time. 

The Illusion of Control 

Perhaps the most troubling part of food addiction is that it doesn’t feel like an addiction. You don’t have to hide in an alley or lose your job over cookies. But food addiction works in a slower, quieter way. It looks like eating when you're not hungry. It looks like needing food to soothe stress or choosing foods that leave you sluggish but comforted. And it hides behind socially accepted norms like starting every morning with coffee or ending every night with dessert. 

We like to believe we're fully in control of our choices, and to some extent, that's true. But once we begin to understand how food addiction works on a biological, psychological, and cultural level, it becomes clear that many of our decisions are being influenced by forces we may not even notice.