Dietitian Cameron Wells explained to Mic.com, “[Casomorphins] really play with the dopamine receptors and trigger that addictive element.” Other experts have gone so far as to compare the addictive qualities of cheese to that of drugs.

Dr. Neal Barnard, of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, said in an interview with Vegetarian Times: “Casomorphins attach to the brain’s opiate receptors to cause a calming effect in much the same way heroin and morphine do. In fact, since cheese is processed to express out all the liquid, it’s an incredibly concentrated source of casomorphins. You might call it dairy crack.”

The research, carried out by University of Michigan and involving more than 500 participants, focused on identifying addictive food using the Yale Food Addiction Scale. Nicole Avena, a co-author on the study, which was released in February but has come to attention in the past few days, discussed how the results could alter the way we approach the problem of obesity. “This is a first step towards identifying specific foods, and properties of foods, which can trigger this addictive response.

“This could help change the way we approach obesity treatment. It may not be a simple matter of ‘cutting back’ on certain foods, but rather, adopting methods used to curtail smoking, drinking and drug use.”

Can’t resist a chunk of cheddar? Cheese could be as addictive as drugs, study finds