Can you be addicted to eating pizza?

Wood-fired, fresh flatbread hand spun to a thin crust, light on the homemade tomato sauce, topped with authentic mozzarella, dried oregano and greasy pepperoni.  A dish that will probably forever fill my pizza craving as long as I roam this planet.  I’ve had this special array of ingredients slapped together and served to me countless times all over the world.  When the stars align, it even seems I’ve managed to eat a slice of pizza multiple times a week when a mash of personal desires are mixed with various social events.  Am I addicted to pizza?  Actually, this questioned has never crept into my thoughts until I read a recent article on curejoy.com called The science behind pizza addiction and what it means.  Research has shown that addiction can occur with many highly processed foods and pizza was near the top of the list.  “Pizza, like drugs, causes sudden spikes and crashes in blood sugar while signalling changes to the neurological dopamine reward system,” states the Curejoy editorial.  Other addictive foods that unsurprisingly made the list included chocolate, chips, cookies, ice cream and french fries.  Ever had an uncontrollable urge to buy a large McDonald’s french fry and nothing else?  You are not alone.  Maybe you are a processed food obsessed, pizzaholic or maybe you are not.  The overall message is that you are aware of your processed food intake so you can take mitigating steps to improve your health and diet over time.  Eliminating pizza all together is a drastic step and one I personally will not take, but I am conscience about my overall eating habits to ensure a healthy balance of natural foods.  Before you go searching for your local Pizzaholics Anonymous meeting, try just reducing your monthly calls to your favorite pizza delivery establishment.

What are your thoughts? Please leave a comment below.

Written by Robert Connolly

Source: The Science Behind Pizza Addiction And What It Means