An Addiction You Didn’t Know You Had by Carter Dalton
There are hundreds of thousands of fast food chains in America, and that along with diners and restaurants, makes over half a million places to eat in America. For years you’ve been telling your friends and family that you’re addicted to them. It's an easy option for every meal or snack. A new study suggests food addiction is a real thing.
Researchers identified addictive foods from about 500 people who completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale. 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.
We. Love. Cheese. From cubed to shredded to melted to string. From Cheddar to Blue to Swiss to Nacho, there's a thousand varieties for every palate. We'll dip just about any salty carb into it. We top burger patties, salads and casseroles with it. When the moment calls for a bit more sophistication, we pair it with meats, nuts, and fruits. We even sneak cheese into some desserts as a secret ingredient. It certainly feels like cheese might be addictive because, let's be honest, "Would you like cheese on that?" is a very difficult offer to turn down. Cheese makes everything tastier, even things that already taste good.
Food addictions have not yet been proven, but food cravings are entirely possible…Research shows that certain foods can actually activate the reward centers in our brains, invoking positive feelings that encourage us to come back for more and more. There is a milk protein found in cheese called casein. During digestion, casein is broken down into casomorphins, these particles attach themselves to your dopamine receptors (otherwise known as “the feel-good hormone”) and can give you an opioid like high. However, no studies actually show that the amount of casomorphins in cheese is enough to give you an addictive high, so there's probably nothing to worry about as long as you're eating it in moderation. Cheese can be high in saturated fat and salt, but it also contains calcium and important vitamins and minerals. It may be craveable, so you do need to mind how much of it you eat, but there's no evidence it's actually addictive.
Researchers identified addictive foods from about 500 people who completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale. 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.
We. Love. Cheese. From cubed to shredded to melted to string. From Cheddar to Blue to Swiss to Nacho, there's a thousand varieties for every palate. We'll dip just about any salty carb into it. We top burger patties, salads and casseroles with it. When the moment calls for a bit more sophistication, we pair it with meats, nuts, and fruits. We even sneak cheese into some desserts as a secret ingredient. It certainly feels like cheese might be addictive because, let's be honest, "Would you like cheese on that?" is a very difficult offer to turn down. Cheese makes everything tastier, even things that already taste good.
Food addictions have not yet been proven, but food cravings are entirely possible…Research shows that certain foods can actually activate the reward centers in our brains, invoking positive feelings that encourage us to come back for more and more. There is a milk protein found in cheese called casein. During digestion, casein is broken down into casomorphins, these particles attach themselves to your dopamine receptors (otherwise known as “the feel-good hormone”) and can give you an opioid like high. However, no studies actually show that the amount of casomorphins in cheese is enough to give you an addictive high, so there's probably nothing to worry about as long as you're eating it in moderation. Cheese can be high in saturated fat and salt, but it also contains calcium and important vitamins and minerals. It may be craveable, so you do need to mind how much of it you eat, but there's no evidence it's actually addictive.