Cheese is as addictive as cocaine, according to the experts

Cheese elicits a similar reaction in the brain to hard drugs, scientists have found.

Research carried out by the University of Michigan found that when cheese is being digested, its proteins can release high quantities of dopamine – which leads to a strongly addictive response.

The cause of the phenomenon is casein, a type of protein which fires up the brain’s opioid receptors and creates cravings not-too-dissimilar to an addict’s desire for “another hit.”

Unsurprisingly, the study also found that the more fatty a food was, the more likely it was to be addictive.

The scientists behind the study even advised that cheese-addicts would be best advised to cut back on their favourite substance, just as they would with cigarettes or hard drugs.

Co-author Nicole Avena said: “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.”