STUDY: Pizza is More Addictive Than Cocaine

Wonder why you’re gaining weight? It’s probably because you’re addicted to cheese.

Basically everyone is trying to lose weight. If you’re an actor, then you may need to shed a few pounds to look perfect on screen. If you’re a model, then you may need to lose a few pounds for your next photo shoot. If you’re single, then you are probably going to the gym to look good for your soul-mate. But, at every TV, movie or model photo shoot there is always a crafty table. You know the assortment of snacks made available to cast and crew members to eat between scenes, set-ups, and production delays.

It was recently announced that cheese is addictive. Americans currently eat about 23 pounds of cheese, a number that has since tripled since 1970. A study by the University of Michigan looked at which foods are more addictive than others. After 500 people completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale, something became pretty clear. Cheese and more specifically pizza, is as addictive as most drugs.

The reason why we all love pizza has to do with 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.

But, what causes cheese to become so addictive. Well, it’s because of an ingredient called casein, a protein found in milk products. During digestion, casein releases the feeling of happiness, also known as casomorphins, a particular type of opiate.

“[Casomorphins] really play with the dopamine receptors and trigger that addictive element,” registered dietitian Cameron Wells told Mic.

That sucks. Your cheese addiction has been validated by science. But, it is important to point out that cheese is not alone. Oreos were tested and found to be more addictive than cocaine.

Apparently, along with cheese, our bodies are wired to enjoy sugary, fatty foods. But, the addiction to Oreos can be harder to kick than cocaine, according to a Connecticut College reasearch team in New London. Researchers experimented on rats using a maze with rice cakes on one side and Oreos on the other. The rats were observed on both sides of the maze.

“Just like humans, rats don’t seem to get much pleasure out of eating rice cakes,” Joseph Schroeder, who led the research team, told UPI.com.

The experiment also studied the pleasure center of the rats’ brains and found that the Oreos activated more neurons than cocaine or morphine.

“Our research supports the theory that high-fat/high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do,” Schroeder told the Connecticut College News. “It may explain why some people can’t resist these foods despite the fact that they know they are bad for them.”

Do you think that’s bad?

Well here are 9 foods more addictive than drugs.

1. Pizza

2. Chocolate

3. Potato Chips

4. Cookies

5. Ice Cream

6. French Fries

7. Cheeseburgers

8. Soda

9. Cake

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What do you think about the results of the study? Are you addicted to cheese? Share with us your thoughts in the comments below!