A new study from the University of Michigan suggests that love of cheese can be compared to an addiction because when consumed, cheese attaches itself to the brain’s opiate receptors which send signals to the body, inducing a calming effect.
Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and author of Breaking the Food Seduction explained that the way cheese is produced is the reason behind its addictive effect.
All proteins contain the compound casomorphin – an addictive compound. However, during the cheese making process, much of its liquid is extracted, making the food product a concentrated source of the compound.
He said “Casomorphins attach to the brain’s opiate receptors to cause a calming effect in much the same way heroin and morphine do.
“You do what you do with any drug you’re hooked on. You get away from it… you don’t look at it, you don’t smell it, and you certainly don’t eat it.”