Addicted to cheese

Researchers at University of Michigan have found another clue as to why everybody loves cheese. 

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  Who doesn't love cheese? Image: Arla Foods

• Swedes love their cheese. Americans love their cheese. The average Swede consumes 18 kilograms (40 pounds) of cheese every year, and the average American isn’t far behind with an average of 35 pounds — and those numbers continue to rise. Now, after researchers from the University of Michigan began looking into the most addictive foods, they know why we are so crazy about cheese: The taste triggers an addiction not unlike that which hard drugs can. The study shows that cheese is more addictive than other foods, in part because of the way it’s processed. Scientists found that unprocessed foods, like brown rice or seafood, did not cause the same addictive behaviors as processed ones, like cheese. The two things about cheese that affect our brains are fat and casein, a chemical that is highly prevalent in dairy products, which signals the brain to release extra dopamine — the pleasure hormone — with every bite.