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It's official: Cheese is as addictive as crack cocaine. We could have told you that.

Tell us something we don’t know.

Cheese is the king of the dairy products. Let’s be real, it could easily constitute its own food group.

Soft, hard, crumbly, string, spray or even mouldy- we don’t care. Just GIMME GIMME GIMME.

If you have ever wondered why it is you would consider selling your grandmother for a slice of Edam, we have the answer. No, you’re not irrational. It’s science.

A study from the US National Library of Medicine has found that “not all foods are equally implicated in addictive-like eating behaviour.”

The study found that unprocessed foods such as brown rice or salmon are less likely to encourage addictive eating habits. A spud on its own? No worries. But turn that spud into a crunchy bag of salt-and-vinegar and you’ve got yourself a problem.

Team Mamamia’s favourite cheeses… mmmmm cheese…

Cheese may be lactose gold, but there is no denying it is often highly processed.

Cheese is also highly addictive because of a protein found in dairy called casein. During digestion, this protein breaks down and releases opiates called casomorphins. Casomorphins interact with opioid receptors affecting pain receptors and rewarding addiction.

 

 

A camembert high is an actual thing.

According to Mic, if your hankering for Haloumi is becoming a problem, you can purchase casein-free vegan cheese. Also known as not-cheese.

Cheese is, of course, high in fat also. So everything in moderation. right guys? And by moderation we mean an entire wheel of Danish Blue.

When it comes to cheese, what’s your poison?

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Top Comments

Chantal Tee 9 years ago

Cheese highs are actually because cheese is highly concentrated cow's milk. This milk and proteins within it are of course meant for a baby cow. Calves are meant to drink this milk and it gives them a bond with their mother as it makes them feel good and releases endorphins. It's part of the bonding process between mother and baby. When I found this out I stopped eating cheese (not as hard as you may think!) because I realised that the calves are taken away from their mothers to be slaughtered so that we can eat their breastmilk. I would feel so guilty getting a cheese 'high' knowing that I was basically feeling the satisfaction that a baby cow was meant to feel when bonding with his mother. Cheese is delicious, but it's not worth that sort of pain.

Michelle 9 years ago

Based on this theory, 'milk highs' must be a well-known thing!! Except they're not. There are lots of good reasons to be vegan if one so chooses, but your faux science is not one of them!

KimBo 9 years ago

I beg to differ - my 2 daughters eat a vegan cheese (no animal product at all) and they love it, my sisters family eat a soy based cheese and believe me her 11year old son is just as 'cheese addicted' as the dairy based cheese consumer!!