News Is In: Cheese, It’s Really As Addictive As Crack Cocaine

Sweet dreams are made of Brie... but if you're having trouble stepping away from the festive cheeseboard (come on honey, drop the cracker) there might be some science you can lay the blame on.  The latest study has proven what we always kind of suspected: cheese is as addictive as hard drugs. According to the boffins at the US National Library of Medicine,“not all foods are equally implicated in addictive-like eating behaviour.” Where unprocessed foods such as a boiled potato or a fillet of salmon are unlikely to encourage addictive behaviour in humans, processing has been shown to make certain items very addictive indeed. This is particularly true when it comes to cheese. The culprit? Casein, a protein which triggers the brain's opioid receptors - the ones responsible for addiction. [Casomorphins] really play with the dopamine receptors and trigger that addictive element," said dietician Cameron Wells. As well as being delicious, cheese is high in calories and saturated fat - not the ideal companion to a weight loss regime. So what's the answer? If you can't limit your cheese consumption to reasonable levels (a block of cheddar is not reasonable) try keeping your Goudas and Stiltons for weekend treats only. Midweek you can appease any cravings with vegan (and thus casein-free) cheese.