Why Humans Like Junk Food, Part Three

Answers to Why We Buy Junk Food: Our Favorite Foods Explained*

* For the First Time

This Lecture Explains

Why We Like French Fries Why We Like Ice Cream Why We Like Soda Why We Like Chocolate Why is the Oreo the #1 Cookie of all time? 100 Billion made and Eaten. Why is Hot or Cold Food Pleasurable? Why is Starbucks Coffee so Popular? 1

This Lecture Explains

Are McDonalds French Fries better? Is Flame Broiling best? What Is So Special about BBQ Food? Why Do We Like Donuts? Why is Vanilla Such a Popular Flavor? Do Quiznos Subs Taste Better Toasted? Is it the Cheese? Why is Doritos the #1 Snack Food of all Time? 2

This Lecture Explains

Why is Pop Corn So Pop-ular? Can You Make your Kids eat Their Fruit and Vegetables? What two mistakes did P and G make with the design of Pringles? How does the Brain see Low-Carb Food? Will the Low-Carb Craze Continue? Why did Olestra Fail? Or did it? Are Ruths Chris Steaks really better? Why do we Like Spicy Food?

Review of Junk Food Principles

Summary of a few principles of Part One and Two

Salt & Sugar & Junk Food

Salt essential nutrient for all neurons and cells

Blood 0.9% NaCl Salt scarce in the evolutionary environment Sodium/K+ pump drives life NOT essential but very useful..

Sugar is major fuel of neurons

Drives ingestion (hard wired pleasure) Increases insulin, growth promoter Excellent short term energy source Spares fat stores

Hence: Body strives to find these nutrients!

Salt & Sugar & Pleasure

Direct reward pathways from taste to pleasure center Sugar is mu opioid stimulator, dopamine Salt is mu opioid stimulator, dopamine Pleasure magnified when mixed with fat(1) Heroin, morphine, alcohol, and cannabinoids, interact with this system Ventral striatal medium spiny neurons mediate the affective or hedonic response to food ('liking' or food 'pleasure) Taste more sensitive when hungry
(1) Emulsion pleasure theory

Junk Food Design I

Essential Elements of Junk Food:

Salt, Fat & Sugar NOT protein Driver of Ingestion Fat and carbohydrate greatest drivers Pleasure=Sensation plus Calories

Dynamic Novelty

Macronutrients & Pleasure

Use of the Pleasure Equation

Junk Food Design II

Common Design of Famous Foods:

Doritos [#1 snack food] Oreos [#1 cookie] Popcorn [#1 movie snack] Ice Cream [most palatable food ever invented] Chocolate: [#1 craving]

Junk Food Addiction-summary

Need salt, fat or sugar combination High glycemic sugars helpful High Dynamic Contrast absolute key to tasty food Rapid termination of hunger pain signal helpful Promote Food memory: sugar and fat help Salivary response promotes food breakdown and sensory pleasure Distinctive aroma helps identify your food

Taste & Smell=Flavor

Central taste and olfactory systems in primates provides evidence that the convergence of taste and smell information onto single neurons is realized in the caudal orbitofrontal cortex Cortical areas thus support flavour processing Correlations with consonance ratings for the smell and taste combinations, and for their pleasantness, were found in a medial anterior part of the orbitofrontal cortex OFC searches for taste & smell with hedonic overtones (taste appears never to be neutral) Eur J Neurosci. 2003 Oct;18(7):2059-68

Flavor and Reward

Brain has two motivation systems:

Positive/appetitive [reward] Negative/aversive [punishment] Process sensory responses and Process value of food reward simultaneous!

Chemosensory Regions in Brain:

Brain (2001), 124, 1720-1733.

Hot Peppers
Most widely and quickly dispersed food plant on earthwhy? Hot Peppers contain capsaicin

Activates vanilloid receptors Increased sensation

Vanilloid receptor activation is Sensed as burningbody then Releases opioids or endorphins Capsaicin also depletes substances P inhibit pain transmission!

Hot Peppers 2

Hence, depending on your level of pain tolerance, you are basically burning yourself to release opioids without damaging tissue! Heat tolerance builds up and more must be consumed over time Almost infinite variety of hot pepper available! Many flavors and tastes! Certain endogenous lipids may activate this receptor! Thus hot peppers may have more significance to food intake and pleasure than at first thought.

Hot Peppers 3

Capsaicin may have other effects:

Increased BMR Increased Sweating Response Na/K-ATPase alterations, may alter membrane fluidity (fat soluble) Capsaicin on Induce aptosis inside: Potent antioxidant! -seeds Potential antinflammatory -placenta Boost Immune System Not rest of pepper

See: http://www.pbs.org/safarchive/3_ask/archive/qna/3294_peppers.html

Why We Like French Fries

High in salt, fat and carbohydrates

Salt is directly rewarding (opioids) Fat is rewarding both gut & brain

Fat forms the best memories of food Fat least satiating High glycemic food reduces hunger quickly Surge of glucose and then insulin rewarding Many glucose receptors activated, Carbohydrate increase serotonin which can be rewarding

Carbohydrate is rewarding

Aroma is resistant to Sensory Specific Extinction High in Dynamic Contrast

Crispy outside creamy inside

Which Fries are Best?

Is it possible to use Junk Food Theory to decide which fry is best? McDonalds Fries:

Not coated Beef Flavored (actually tallow) Slightly bigger than Macs Batter and flavor coated Not salted in batter Highest fat content Wanted hotter and crisper longer (good goal)

Burger King Fries

Which Fries Best-2

Using our Junk Food Theories which fries are the best?

FP=[Sensation] plus [Calories]

FP=Sensation: [Dynamic Contrast+Hedonic Solutes+Aroma Associations+(-)SSS] plus [Calories: fat and sugar] Edge to McDonalds

Flavor good (tallow flavors good AA) Some textural variety (uniformity dec hedonics) Fries dont toughen up over time I have a hard time believing BK won taste tests

Still like their fries though!

French Fries & Toxicity

High in salt, fat sugar Trans fat content: Burger King: 35 percent High in acrylamides Wendy's: 26 percent High in Saturated fat McDonald's: 22 percent Consumer reports Low in phytochemicals Potato soaks up additional carcinogens produced during deep frying High glycemic starch elevates blood sugar

Just about the worst side dish one can imagine

Why We Like Ice Cream

Vanilla preferred flavorwhy?

Resistant to Sensory Specific Satiety Allows infinite additions

High in Salt, Fat and Sugar (Sucrose)

HFCS even worse

Ice Cream melts (phase change) Ice Cream is Coldchanges in the mouth (pleasureable) Temperature changes, flavor changes as well

VERY High in Dynamic Contrast

Ice Cream Liking

As Dr. Bob Hyde says: People like Ice Cream because it is cold. IC excites cold water receptors; but since the osmolality is so high one must drink cold water afterwardshence the drinking fountain in ice cream stores

Why We Like Ice Cream 2

Rich in Salt, Fat and Sugar

Salt is rewarding Sugar is rewarding Fat is rewarding (activates singulate gyrus) Most preferred taste (Pangborn) Activates hyperphagia (increases food intake) Deactivates leptin (encourages obesity) Poorer satiation (encourages consumption) Fat plus sucrose especially attractive (ET Rolls)

Sucrose is an especially active sweetener

Dietary Ingredients

Sugar intake at an all time high

110 pounds per year Increases insulin secretion (fat storage) Increases hunger and hyperphagia Too much saturated fat, trans fat, omega 6s. Fiber is filling Fiber lowers cholesterol

Wrong Type of Fats

Low Fiber Intake

HFCS and Obesity

HFCS & Obesity Correlates Well (Bray) Obesity rose slowly until 1980s 132/200 extra calories come from sugars Food Industry says its about calories and not HFCS. Fructose: [Sweeter than Sugar]

Lower satiety response [stimulates appetite] Increases TG Increases insulin resistance More likely to be converted into fat Sucrose increases lipogenesis in liver

Sucrose & HFCS

Dietary Fructose stimulates lipogenic enzymes in liver

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase Fructose>sucrose>cornstarch

Sucrose is the most preferred sugar in humans and animals (Pangborn)

J Nutr. 2001 Mar;131(3):796-9.

Dr. Lee Gross (Yahoo news April 25,04)

10% Calories from HFCS!!!

Why We Like Soda

Activates several reward circuits

Thirst reward (fluid replacement) Taste Reward (sweetness) Orosensation (two)

Carbonation Aroma (forms taste+aroma associations) COLD! (Dynamic Contrast)

Caffeine is addicting (mild)

Hence, soda is very rewarding as it effect several systems Known to release opioids and taste pleasure. It is easy to get Addicted to Sodamy problem is Diet Vanilla Coke!

Carbonated Drinks

Sugar Very Addicting (opioids)

Carbonation also addicting Fructose causes insulin resistance Fructose not very filling Reduces thermogenesis

Loaded with HFCS

Substitute for Milk

Calcium linked to fat loss Sugar withdrawal resembles opioid dependence

Coca Cola C2???

Added Knauss, "Today's consumers are looking for choices that fit their lifestyles. They want to keep enjoying the special cola taste that Coca-Cola delivers, but with the option of a lower-carb, lowercalorie soft drink. Coca-Cola C2 gives that freedom of choice."

Professor Pangborn used to tell me: There Is something special about the taste of sucrose! Half the sugar, carbs and calories A number of folks dont like diet coke!!!

C2: Will it Succeed?

Uses sucrose/and or HFCS

Adds a combo of sucralose, aceK and aspartame Regular first, then C2, then diet

Taste Tested by Good Housekeeping

BUTtaste testers noted a off flavor with the new formula

Coke fails to note that supertasters can pick up the bitterness in AceK & Aspartame. Sucralose is clean. Hencethis new formula will bomb in my humble opinion.

Caffeine & Self Stimulation

Caffeine acts as a antagonist of the A2A receptor, by blocking its activation by adenosine. This reduces the formation of cyclic AMP and the activation of protein kinase A. This causes the reduction of adenylyl cyclase, cyclic AMP, protein kinase A, and DARPP-32. It is believed that the reduction of one of these molecules induces a positive feedback mechanism, which induces the increase of DARPP-32 and thus an increase dopamine, glutamate, and serotonin past the normal level. This is what causes one to feel a little more awake, at least, until the levels of DARPP32 return to normal.

Reference:
Solinas M., Ferre S., et. al. Caffeine induces dopamine and glutamate release in the shell of the nucleus accumbens. J Neurosci (2002) Aug 1; 22(15): 6321-4.

Caffeine and Addiction

Adenosine receptor antagonist

Arousing action on body Increased BMR Improved Mood, Performance Enhanced dopamine transmission?

Rewarding

Caffeine withdrawal lasts only about 3-4 days

Headache, poor mood, sluggishness

Conclusion: mild euphoriant only slightly addicting in classic sense

Why We Like Chocolate

High is Salt (1%), Fat (40%) and Sugar (40-60%)!!!

Does this theme sound familiar? Temp=98.6F High Dynamic Contrast! Few fats can do this!

Cocoa Butter Melts at Oral Temperature

Why We Like Chocolate 2

Chocolate flavor is very distinctive

Has a background of vanilla flavor Mild stimulants (theobromine is much milder)

Contains Caffeine and Theobromine

Milk Chocolate contains betacasomorphins (mu-opioid) Loaded with polyphenols Increase postprandial insulin

More rewarding

Why We like Chocolate 3

Fat intake incresed by opioids and galanin Carbohydrate intake influenced by NPY Preferred both separately and in mixtures Fat and sugar are among the most highly palatable and most preferred foods

Drug users high users of both fat and sugar

Chocolate and Drugs

Results showsimilar brain regions (prefrontal cortex) are activated during food associated conditioning and drug-associated conditioning Preoptic area (sexual, food reward)is activated by morphine & chocolate Activation of Memory Circuitsoverpowering urge

Neuroscience 105, 535-545, 2001.

Chocolate can change gene expression of liking!

Why We Like Oreos

Number one cookie sold, billions & billions High is salt, fat and sugar

By now, you know what this means

Texture Contrasts

Crunchy to Creamy Chocolate to vanilla Salty to sweet

Unique chocolate flavor (signature) Vanilla background flavor

Strong, burnt chocolate aroma

Why We Like Hot or Cold Food

It is the thrillingness or high sensation of hot or cold foods that we like. In the mouth they change back to mouth temperature; hence it is the change in temperature that we like, not the absolute high or low temps

Bob Hyde, PhD, San Jose State

About 80% of all food are eaten hot or cold!

Why is Starbucks so Popular?

Starbucks popularity stems (besides good marketing) from three basic points:

The coffee roast is unique and in some ways still is compared to almost all store brands

Aroma profile long hang time Acidity much lower than most competitiors

Caffeine content is higher than expected Infinite variety coffee drinks (decreases SSS)

Why is Starbucks so Popular? 2

To summarize: They serve: Caffeine served in a variety of ways; but what I see people order is:

Caffeine with added sugar, fat & casomorphins The Adult Malt Shop!!!

Starbucks seems to sell more fat and milk and sugar than coffee!
Casomorphins are exorphin derivatives of casein

Starbucks Caffeine Driven

Researchers found a medium, 16-ounce cup of the house blend at Starbucks packs an average of 259 milligrams of caffeine compared with only 143 milligrams in the same-sized cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts

ranging from 259 milligrams to 564 milligrams

300 mg is considered a pharmacological dose! Yikes!

+ + =food+caffeine reinforcement
Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1995 Aug;120(4):457-62.

Starbucks Aroma Profile

Starbucks roasting profile creates a variety of volatiles, some of which have a very long hang time in the air.

Nestle used to call them Charbucks

This allows the olfactory system more time to imprint the aroma with post-ingestional conditioning

Nutrient conditioning Caffeine conditioning

Darker Roasting also allows volatiles to more resemble chocolate!

Associative conditioning

Donut Pleasure

High in fat & sugar High glycemic starch High Dynamic Contrast

Fast meltdown Icing meltdown Semi-starvation condition

My Dad designed this donut!

Eaten after overnight fast

In morning we are driven to eat Fat and Sugar and not protein (Leibowitz)

Low Sugar Donut ?

Krispy Crme planning to come out with a low carb donut. Currently 10 grams sugar, 200 kcals and 50% cals from fat.
Hence, this is Silly!

But it has 22 grams Of Carbohydrate Total! 10 from sugars

Why People Like Doritos

One of the most popular snack foods of all time Doritos and Tostitos about $3 billion USA New flavors keep brand strong Rise of salsa has helped sales Taste profile pretty constant Although less garlicky over the years

NACHO Doritos Ingredients

Corn Vegetable oil Flour Cheeses:

1987

Romano Cheddar Parmesan

Whey protein Salt Tomato solids Lactic acid

MSG Buttermilk Onion Garlic Dextrose Citric acid Sugar Colors Spice 5Nucleotides

Doritos Nacho Cheesier 2004

Corn Vegetable oil 2004 Cheddar cheese Salt Buttermilk solids Wheat Flour Whey Protein Concentrate Romano Cheese Tomato Powder MSG Onion Powder

Soybean oil Whey Garlic powder Dextrose Sugar Disodium phosphate Lactic acid Natural Flavor, Spice Citric acid Parmesan Cheese 5 Nucleotides

Doritos Aroma Profile

Distinctive Nacho Aroma:

Onion, garlic, tomato, cheese(s)

Flavor Intensive spices

Spice is probably
White or black pepper Capsaicin (red pepper)

Notable lack of Off-Flavors

Never see a burnt or stale chip

Doritos Taste Profile

Hedonic solutes: Doritos excite every known taste active receptor:

Salt (as sodium chloride) MSG (MSG, garlic powder, cheeses) 5 prime nucleotides (added directly) Acids (lactic, citric, buttermilk, tomato solids) Vanilloid receptors (black, white pepper, hot pepper)

Just FYI

Fritos Chip Effect (FCE)

Actually called this in textbooks on food reward! Tasty food has an appetite priming effect (actually increases appetite) Tasty food activates a neural system of Hedonic Reward and Wanting Carlson (1986)

Unique flavor due to high temperature cook!

Frito Lays STAX

Head to Head with Pringles Pringles only salts their chips on one sidethis is sensory mistake Five years in development! Full page ads say they taste better than Pringles [based on a national taste test], and I bet they do!

Ad: USA Today, Feb. 27, 2004 (10E)

STAX vs Pringles

Based on the principles of tasty food enumerated in this lecture, STAX is better tasting than Pringles. Macronutrients: edge to Pringles

Pringles more fat 11 vs 10 grams/serv Calories the same 160/serv Carb the same at 15 g/serv
Same salt content Pringles salted on only one side, STAX on both Pringles slightly greasier mouthfeel

Sensory Properties

Why is Vanilla so Popular?

Mild flavor that resists habituation in the brain

Means: can eat it everyday without SSS induction Allows infinite variation on theme

Orange crme, etc.

Vanilla has many high calorie associations: ice cream, chocolate etc.
Vanilla number one ice cream flavor!

Flame Broiling: is it better?

Generates higher amount of volatiles

Richer in fat/protein volatiles

Excite innate fire roasting and survival memories in our genome!

Some paleobiologists link flame broiling with our evolutionary past!

FB smell excites memories of pleasant BBQ repasts (Aroma Associations)

I personally think Flame Broiling has higher hedonic potential

Flame broiling truly does make everything taste better. In Vegetarian Grill, Andrea Chesman

Flame Broiling

Meat has little inherent aroma or flavor Aroma generated during cooking:

Fats, protein, sugars, vitamins, acids, glycogen important

Fats are the major generator of meat identifiable flavors

Lipid oxidation products also

Unique flavor not easily duplicated Generates long hang time volatiles

Better for memory formation Less generation of undesirable oxidation products

Important principle

Flavor Processing & Doritos

Taste and Aroma pair in the Orbitofrontal Cortex

Acquire significance thru ingestion! Aroma response will habituate (satiety) but new aromas are responded to

Hence, the complexity of the Doritos flavor profile helps reduce Sensory Specific Satiety

Why People Like Popcorn

VERY Rapid Mouth Meltdown

High Dynamic Contrast Like Vanilla and French Fries

Non Habituating Aroma

Infinite Variation Possible Vanishing Caloric Density (VCD)

Eat a lot and not too filling! Dr. Bob Hyde principle

One of the fastest melt in your mouth foods around!

Low Carb ManiaShort Term

67% occasionally counted carbs 28% not interested in a low carb diet 5% Strict Low Carbers 1% Low Carb for Life

Not a Permanent Lifestyle!

Low Carb Mania

Low Carb Burgers (lettuce) Low Carb Pizza Low Carb Bread (awful) Low Carb Ice cream Low Carb Chocolates Low Carb Snacks

Fat vs Carb
Fat makes you fat (Bray) Carbs make you fat? (Willett) Fat plus CHO makes you fat! (Witherly)

Insulin Counteracts Fat Satiety, (Mei)

What is Low Carb?

A very old diet actually, known since 1700s (Brillant Savarin) Atkins started it 30 years ago. Sold more books than the bible Americans now on diet 50% Americans have tried it Currently, hottest trend in Foods and Food Service

Low Carb & Fat Cell

Increase this
(glucose)

CLA

FAT CELL

-fat cell wont store fat, lipolysis makes glucose

LOW Carb: Paleolithic Diet

Do Eat: Meats and Fish, Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, and Berries Do Not Eat: Grains, Beans, Potatoes, Dairy, Sugar

Foods to Avoid:

All sugars [sucrose, lactose, etc]

Most fruit No pasta, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes No rice, bagels, breads No milk, yogurts, ice cream, etc. Cream is okay!

All starches [flours, maltodextrin]

Most dairy

Candy, sweets, chocolates

South Beach Low Carb

Basically Low Carb for Dummies Emphasizes healthy fats and healthy cuts of meats Exactly the same induction period as Atkins: two weeks no carbs

Three phase periods

Allows the addition of Low Glycemic Foods (like brown rice, apples, oatmeal)

Criticism: Atkins in Disguise!

Women & Low Carbs

Females have 50% less serotonin receptors vs. men Glucose now shown necessary for serotonin production from tryptophan Atkins Grumpies explained!

Low Carb Summary

Low carb reduces insulin which:

Inhibits fat formation (requires insulin) Reduces appetite (very strongly) Increases fat burning (for glucose)

Problems: Reduces serotonin production (grumpies) Causes constipation (serotonin in gut) May cause rebound hyperphagia Craving for Carbs can become intense

Olestra

Olestra Sales
-500 million development -Poor sales -Banned in Canada
Fools neither the Gustatory System or the GUT!

Did Olestra Fail?

Sales actually in the hundreds of millionsnot a flop technically Recently approved for Popcorn Biggest problem is that the mouth has fat detectors and Olestra does not excite themhence palatability drops off over time In addition, high glycemic carbo content of snacks still a problem for diets I prefer the new generation cooking oils like Nisshin OilsResetta. Taste and act like real fat,

digested and absorbed normally, but are much less likely to be stored as fat. Info on Resetta>>>

Weight Loss OilResetta

A mixture of Long chain and Medium chain fatty acids on same molecule Body burns the MCT portion easily May increase overall metabolism May reduce Cholesterol Promotes feeling of Satiety FOSHU Claims in Japan It helps to reduce accumulation of fat in the body One huge advantage

Repeat Deep Frying!

With the addition of antioxidants Resetta can be used for french fries and snack food! Trans Fat Free
Healthy Snack Food are now Possible!

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Resetta Oil Studies

Several clinical studies show reduction of body fat with usage (15 g)

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 12(2):151-60, 2003 J Nutr Sci Vitaminol., 48, 109-114, 2002 Easily digested & burned quickly Upregulate fat burning enzymes Increase feeling of fullness Enhance growth hormone release Enhances absorption of E, Ca, Mg

MCT Portion Several Advantages:

J Atheroscler Thromb. 2003;10(5):290-8.

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Resetta scientific support

MCT Oil Studies-many!

Reduced body fat, MCT in margarine

J Atheroscler Thromb. 2003;10(5):290-8.

Medium-chain triglyceridesmore satiating and promote weight loss

Obes Res. 2003 Mar;11(3):395-402 Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 Nov;74(5):620-30

Greater energy expenditure, lower body weight

Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2003 Dec;27(12):1565-71 J Nutr. 2003 Aug;133(8):2512-8 J Nutr. 2003 Aug;133(8):2512-8.

Octanoate reduces TG synthesis

Ruths Chris Steak House

Low Carb Dining Heaven! Superior aged steaks Super hot cooking generates flavor volatiles which are unique (like Starbucks)hard to duplicate! Sizzling and hot with butter (rewarding) provides additional sensory bonding!
Just love this placemy favorite steak house!

Final Comments

Good Food results from an awareness of:

Evolutionary Past Nutrient Requirements Sensory Apparatus

Cuisine reflects these realities. Without an advanced understanding of these principles, modern cuisines actually follow them closely!

I hope you have enjoyed my presentation on Junk Food Contact me at: 661 296 2214; techproductsinc@comcast.net Or my website at: www.Technicalproductsinc.net