#76: Nicole Avena, PhD – Hedonic Eating, Food Reward & Claims About “Sugar Addiction”

Neuroscientist Nicole Avena, PhD is on the show to discuss hedonic eating vs. caloric need, food addiction and sugar addiction.

Guest Bio

Nicole Avena, PhD

Dr. Nicole Avena is a research neuroscientist, author and expert in the fields of nutrition, diet and addiction.

She received a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Psychology from Princeton University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology at The Rockefeller University in New York City.

She has published over 70 scholarly journal articles, as well as several book chapters and books, on topics related to food, addiction, obesity and eating disorders.

Her research achievements have been honored by awards from several groups including the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Psychological Association, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Eating Disorders Association.

In this episode we discuss:

• Caloric need vs. hedonic eating
• Is food addiction real?
• How eating affects the reward centre of the brain
• Is sugar evil?
• How moderation is different for everyone
• What does this all mean for our own diets?

Links & Resources:

Dr. Nicole Avena’s Website

• Why Diets Fail (Because You’re Addicted to Sugar): Science Explains How to End Cravings, Lose Weight, and Get Healthy
• Hedonic Eating: How the Pleasurable Aspects of Food Can Affect Our Brains and Behavior
• Schulte EM, Avena NM, Gearhardt AN (2015). Which foods may be addictive? The roles of processing, fat content, and glycemic load. PLoS ONE 10(2): e0117959
• Tulloch AJ, Murray S, Vaicekonyte R, Avena NM. (2015) Neural Responses to Macronutrients-Hedonic and Homeostatic Mechanisms. Gastroenterology 148(6):1205-18

Enjoy this episode?

• If you regularly enjoy listening to Sigma Nutrition Radio and you’d like to take your support even further, then the best way to do so is through a Sigma Nutrition Premium subscription.
• If you’d rather donate in a once-off manner, you can do so here.
• Alternatively, tell someone you know about the podcast or recommend it on social media. Thanks for supporting!