Cheese is Basically Cocaine, So Says Science

Ever go to a party and say to yourself "Yay there's a cheese tray". Then you may have a problem.

A study coming out of the University of Michigan, I know I was surprised it wasn't Wisconsin too, is looking at the way consuming certain foods can trigger certain things in the brain.

What they found was the more the food was processed and fatty the more addictive it was. Pizza coming in on top as the most addictive food.

And what's one of the main ingredients on a pizza?

Being raised a cheesehead, I get it. I love cheese! I'd say almost all of my favorite foods contain some kind of cheese too. Even cheese by itself is the best! A good sharp cheddar or some curds yes, please!

But what makes cheese on the same level as some street drugs?

The answer is casein.

Casein is a protein that is found in all dairy products, but because of the cheese-making process, it lives it concentrated.

So because of the high concentration of casein found in cheese, the protein triggers the same receptors in your brain as opioids.

Maybe that's why Americans consume up to 35 pounds of cheese a year.