Dairy Crack
Cheese really is crack. Study reveals cheese is as addictive as drugs
For years you have been telling people how much you love cheese. Cheese on everything at every meal if you could. Now, will you listen that you’re addicted to cheese. It’s a part of every meal or snack, and you think about it constantly. A new study suggests food addiction is a real thing.
The study, published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, examines why certain foods are more addictive than others. Researchers identified addictive foods from about 500 people who completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale, designed to measure if someone has a food addiction.
Pizza, unsurprisingly, came out on top of the most addictive food list. Besides being a basic food group for kids, college students and adults, there’s a scientific reason we all love pizza, and it has to do with the cheese.
The study found certain foods are addictive because of the way they are processed. The more processed and fatty the food, the more it was associated with addictive eating behaviors.
Cheese happens to be especially addictive because of an ingredient called casein, a protein found in all milk products. During digestion, casein releases opiates called casomorphins. Casomorphins are created from chemicals that are in the milk, and work with the processing of cheeses.
“[Casomorphins] really play with the dopamine receptors and trigger that addictive element,” registered dietitian Cameron Wells told Mic.
There are new studies ahead of how eating cheese as a child will have an effect on their ability to resist addictions in adulthood. In a quick study in Los Angeles CA., college students went to people on the street and in shelters and asked the residents “If you could have any food right now, what would you ask for?” Almost 100% said cheese.
So there you have it. Your cheese addiction has been validated by science.
Health and Wellness Associates
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Dr G Carney
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Health and Wellness Associates 