If you’re among the millions of Americans who think health comes at a cost-namely forcing down bites of undelicious healthy food, here’s some good news for you: A recent study has found that we can (re)train our brains to prefer the taste of healthy foods instead of Doritos.
"We don't start out in life loving french fries and hating, for example, whole wheat pasta," senior and co-corresponding author Susan B. Roberts, Ph.D. said to CTV News. "This conditioning happens over time in response to eating — repeatedly — what is out there in the toxic food environment."
The finding correlate with another recent study that found repeated exposure to unhealthy foods can not only make us dislike foods that are good for us, but make us completely indifferent about what we’re putting in our mouths. In other words, you’ll eat 100 french fries because you just don’t care. That's not a healthy relationship to food, whether it's good for you or not. But this new study provides hope, particularly if you’re struggling with weight loss goals and battling constant cravings for unhealthy foods.
The study looked at participants in a weight loss program developed by Tufts University. Participants underwent MRIs at the beginning and end of the six-month study. “After six months, scans from the test group revealed increased sensitivity to healthy, low-calorie foods in the brain's reward center associated with addiction and learning, indicating an actual increase of enjoyment of the very idea of healthy foods,” explains CTV. “In contrast, the scans revealed decreased interest in junk food.”
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There may be no magic bullet to eradicating junk food cravings immediately, but sustained efforts over time will lead to a change in palate and in health, according to study author Dr. Krupa Das. The study shows “those who participated in it had an increased desire for healthier foods along with a decreased preference for unhealthy foods.”
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