SPONSORED BY  | | | | September 11, 2023: The addictive nature of ultraprocessed foods, the deepest fish ever found and research stations are polluting Antarctica. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | | Highly processed foods rewire the brain's reward circuits and activate the brain in ways that look like cravings for cocaine, according to new studies. Some scientists are starting to conclude that these foods can trigger addictions like those associated with drugs or alcohol. The evidence isn't clear-cut that some foods meet the full definition of addictive substances, but many studies have shown that highly processed foods (artificially high in carbohydrate and fats) cause dopamine release in the brain (like amphetamines) and can be followed by withdrawal symptoms (at least in kids and adolescents)--two hallmarks of addiction.
Why this matters: The average U.S. adult gets 60 percent of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods. These foods are designed by their manufacturers to contain extra sugar, salt, fat, artificial colors or preservatives, and are packed with other ingredients like hydrogenated fats, bulking agents and starches, to maximize deliciousness (called "the bliss point") and keep people eating.
What the experts say: "Foods that are very high in fat and carbohydrate in a kind of an equal ratio—they don't exist naturally," says Ashley Gearhardt, a clinical psychologist at the University of Michigan. "It's something that's designed by food scientists in a laboratory to look a certain way, feel a certain way in your mouth, smell a certain way when you open the package." A 2021 study showed, for example, that many people with binge eating disorder exclusively overeat ultraprocessed foods. "People aren't losing control over beans," Gearhardt says. | | | Scientists exploring a marine trench near Japan were shocked to find a fish 8,336 meters (about five miles) below the surface. The tadpole-shaped, translucent snailfish is adapted to live in this particular trench, as is each of the roughly 400 other known snailfish species–they stay in their trenches and can never move to another.
How this is possible: Fish can tolerate high pressures at extreme depths because of cellular compounds called osmolytes. Osmolyte concentrations increase at greater depths to ensure that fish cells can withstand bone-crushing pressures. These compounds reach their maximum concentration at around 8,400 meters, so that's the hypothetical limit of fish physiology. Temperature is also key: osmolytes are less effective at low temperatures. The bottom of the trench where this fish was discovered had low temperatures of about 1.7 degrees Celsius.
What the experts say: It's pretty impressive that these fish can survive 800 times the surface water pressure. "At that depth everything from gas exchange for breathing to nearly every physiological function seems impossible," says Alan Jamieson, a marine scientist at the University of Western Australia. "I can barely swim to the bottom of a swimming pool without my ears popping." | | | • Since 1970, more than 350 weather stations around the world have experienced at least one six-hour period of a potentially deadly combination of heat and humidity. Scientists expect these episodes will increase as temperatures rise. | 4 min read | | | An artist's impression of Jupiter and its giant moon Ganymede. The latter is the primary target of the spacecraft JUICE, as well as the largest moon in the solar system and the only one to generate its own magnetic field. Credit: ESA (acknowledgement: ATG Medialab) | | | SPONSORED CONTENT BY HowTheLightGetsIn | Fan of big ideas and stimulating debate? | HowTheLightGetsIn, the world's largest philosophy and music festival, returns to London this September 23-24. A hub for world-leading thinkers, scientists, politicians, philosophers and artists, expect to see Michio Kaku, Sabine Hossenfelder, Richard Wolff, Carol Gilligan, Alastair Campbell, Tim Maudlin and more lock horns over a packed weekend of debates, talks and performances. Don't miss out on 30% off tickets using code SCIAM30. | | | • The frequency, intensity and severity of large-scale wildfires is increasing, but there's an element to it that is under-acknowledged, says Curtis Abraham, a science writer currently studying in Uganda: the declining populations of large herbivores which naturally regulate nature's fire systems. "As a relatively inexpensive part of any fire prevention strategy, we must prioritize the reintroduction of either wild or domestic large herbivores into fire-prone areas to help prevent these disasters," he says. | 5 min read | | | Welcome to a new week! If you are particularly intrigued (disturbed?) by the finding above on the addictive nature of some ultraprocessed foods, check out this 2019 feature article that digs into the science of how the body metabolizes these products. | This newsletter is for you! Reach out anytime with feedback or suggestions: newsletters@sciam.com. See you tomorrow. | —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters . | | | | Scientific American
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