Like a starter drug, sugars and fat seduce you to drink more alcohol

If you eat a lot of fat and sugar during your childhood, you will drink more alcohol later

Sugar and fat can act like a drug and produce addictive behavior. Adolescents, who regularly eat high-sugar and high-fat foods, are prone to frequent alcohol consumption later in life. These are the results of a large European study that found a clear link between early sugar and fat consumption and later alcohol drinking.

In a major study led by the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology, ten European institutions came to the conclusion that a high-fat and high-sugar diet in children is more likely to bottle later in life. According to the researchers, addiction mechanisms play a role, which are acquired early on by the consumption of sugar and fat. The study results have recently appeared in the journal "Public Health Nutrition" and have been awarded the EUSPR Presidents' Award for Outstanding Research Achievement.

A major European research has recently shown that increased consumption of sugar and fat during childhood is associated with increased consumption of alcohol later in life. (Image: WavebreakmediaMicro / fotolia.com)

From superfood to risk factor

Chips, pizza, coke, burgers and fries - kids love greasy and sugary foods and drinks. As the researchers report, this desire is deeply rooted in our genes. For our early ancestors, the daily supply of nutrients was far from being as assured as it is today. Fats and sugars used to be rare and important sources of energy, providing a livelihood and growth in a world where malnutrition prevailed.

Sugar and fat trigger addictive behavior

Our brain simply can not resist the mixture of fat and carbohydrates. Earlier studies recognized that fat and sugar consumption can trigger addictive behavior. According to the researchers, sugar or fat do not directly trigger dependency, but rather the preference for it. Those who have a preference for something sweet and greasy are more prone to overconsumption, loss of control and greedy desire, reports the research team. This addictive behavior is referred to in professional circles as "craving".

Entry drugs sugar and fat

The researchers now investigated whether children who are more prone to such craving in terms of fatty and sugary foods, later reach for the bottle faster and have an increased risk of alcoholism. To do this, the research team analyzed the data of more than 16,000 children. The team led by study author Kirsten Mehlig clearly recognized that children who consumed too much high-sugar and high-fat foods later on consumed alcohol more often and regularly than adolescents, compared to children who ate lower fat and lower sugar.

Regardless of gender and country

"This pattern was found in both sexes and in all countries examined," the researchers explain in a press release on the study results. The team also found that certain family factors, such as higher income and better education for parents, positively influence children's diet and alcohol behavior.

You can not teach old dogs new tricks

The study results suggest that once learned unhealthy dietary habits in childhood can have a long-lasting negative impact on adolescent health. The study team recommends that all parents pay more attention to the diet of their children. In addition, researchers are calling for more policies to increase public awareness of the effects of unhealthy diets. Food producers should also be more heavily regulated, say by a sugar tax, in the opinion of the research team. (Vb)