Cheese 'Can Be Addictive As Morphine'

Ananova ^ | 5-6-2003

[blam]

Cheese 'can be as addictive as morphine'

An American doctor has claimed that cheese can be as addictive as morphine.

Dr Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee on Responsible Medicine, says cheese is addictive because it contains small amounts of morphine from cows' liver.

In his book - Breaking the Food Seduction: The Hidden Reasons Behind Food Cravings and Seven Steps to End them Naturally - he explains why people are hooked on products like cheese, meat, sugar and chocolate.

He says: "There's a biochemical reason many of us feel we can't live without our daily fix.

"Cheese, for example, contains high levels of casein, a protein that breaks apart during digestion to produce morphine-like opiate compounds, called casomorphins.

"These opiates are believed to be responsible for the mother-infant bond that occurs during nursing. It's no surprise many of us feel bonded to the refrigerator."

Dr Barnard says his research could help overweight people currently suing fast food restaurants, by proving the food is addictive like tobacco.

He has developed a three-week diet and lifestyle program to help people kick their 'addiction' by changing their eating habits, exercising and sleeping well.

Story filed: 13:51 Friday 6th June 2003

[TomGuy]

I demand reparations from Dominos...and Pizza Hut...and Mazzios....and Papa Johns....

[45Auto]

No evidence for the presence of b-casomorphins in human plasma after ingestion of cows' milk or milk products.

Teschemacher, Hansjoerg; Umbach, Martin; Hamel, Ulrike; Praetorius, Karina; Ahnert-Hilger, Gudrun; Brantl, Victor; Lottspeich, Friedrich; Henschen, Agnes. Rudolf-Buchheim-Inst. Pharmakol., Justus-Liebig-Univ. Giessen, Giessen, Fed. Rep. Ger.

Journal of Dairy Research (1986), 53(1), 135-8.

Casomorphin [79805-24-6] (fragment of bovine b-casein having opiate-like activity and playing a role as hormones or mediators) were not found in the blood plasma of humans (21-27 yr old) overnight after ingestion of pasteurized cow's milk (0.5 L), buttermilk (0.5 L), or cheese (50 g). It is possible, however, that b-casomorphin analogs could not be detected by the immunoassay method used (Hamel U., et al., 1985)

[LibKill]

Velveeta!

So, you know of The Cheese That Cannot Die.

[lilylangtree]

Can't get addicted with cheese. Chocolate, however, is another matter. Three days ago at 10:30 p.m. the chocolate urge arose. Naturally, no chocolate in the house. It wasn't pretty. Falling asleep was my only recourse. The next day a large snickers bar was first on the agenda.

[sinkspur]

On the Atkins diet, cheese will actually help you lose weight!

[usnret99]

I believe this is the same group that a few months ago came out with milk was bad for you....

[JOE6PAK]

..ahhh, the POWER of CHEESE!

[EggsAckley]

Awesome! Thanks.

[Velveeta]

Yes? You rang?

[ApesForEvolution]

You beat me to it...cheeeeeese.

[US_MilitaryRules]

But what about the mooses?

[45Auto]

An assessment of the addiction potential of the opioid associated with milk.

Reid L D; Hubbell C L Department of Psychology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180-3590

JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE (1994 Mar), 77(3), 672-5.

Eighty-four male rats were tested to determine their preference for one of two distinctive places in an experimental space. After an initial determination of place preference, rats were assigned to six groups. They were then subjected to procedures to condition a place preference using doses of beta-casomorphin, a standard dose of morphine, or placebo. Subsequently, rats were tested for place preferences. No evidence emerged indicating that injections of beta-casomorphin conditioned a place preference, but evidence indicated that morphine conditioned a place preference. Consequently, systemically administered beta-casomorphin has very limited or no reinforcing properties similar to those of morphine. Ingestion of milk products containing beta-casomorphin is not likely to become the focus of an addiction.

[dennisw]

[drlevy88]

Cheese is no good without lots of crackers.

[drlevy88]

Couldn't some genetic engineering improve upon this situation? And even better, be sure to have the cows feed upon, er, hemp. Bleu cheese bliss.

[visualops]

food is addictive like tobacco

They don't smell cheese, they smell money.

[Right Wing Professor]

http://www.ncahf.org/articles/o-r/pcrm.html

http://www.healthfactsandfears.com/high_priorities/vs/2002/committee021402.html

http://www.consumerfreedom.com/activistcash/org_connections.cfm?ORG_ID=23

[TomGuy]

I believe this is the same group that a few months ago came out with milk was bad for you....

I quit giving these reports any credence when the cyclamates (I think it was) police got it banned. Months later, a study was released that showed it would take something like 800 sodas every day for 20 years for the negative effects of cyclamates to show up in a person.

All these food-fear news items are nothing more than ways to get more funding for more research to show more stupid food-fears.

[drlevy88]

You just had to be attracted to a cheese thread dincha.

[JakeWyld]

Ohhhhhhhh I'm sick!

withdrawals!!!

Interesting find...