Jere Downs

@JereDowns

Can you break your cheese habit? A new book, called "The Cheese Trap," makes the case for skipping dairy products altogether.

Cheese is "both fattening and addictive," said author Dr. Neal Barnard, founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Cheese is addictive, Barnard said, because the dairy proteins inside can act as mild opiates. Fragments of cheese protein, called casomorphins, attach to the same brain receptors as heroin and other narcotics. As a result, each bite of cheese produces a tiny hit of dopamine.

He calls it "dairy crack."

Cheddar cheese, Barnard said, has the most concentrated amount of cheese protein in the grocery store and it can pack more calories than Coca-Cola and more salt than potato chips.

At 149 calories, one cup of milk delivers more energy than a can of sugary soda. One cup of melted cheddar? You're looking at 986 calories.

Think a typical 2-ounce snack of potato chips ranks high in salt at 350 milligrams? Two ounces of Velveeta knocks potato chips aside as a sodium villain, containing more than 800 milligrams of sodium, said Barnard, a noted vegan and animal rights activist.

"Cheese," Barnard said "is not just tasty. It actually contains concentrated opiates, along with salt and grease, that tend to keep us hooked."

Cheese consumption has risen steadily since the early 1970s, a trend that tracks alongside the rise in obesity.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans overall consumed 11 pounds of cheese per capita in 1970, a figure which has more than tripled to 35 pounds per person in 2015. Our cheese of choice? Mozzarella, topping out at 11 pounds per person, followed closely by cheddar at 10 pounds per person last year.

If you've been hearing more about how dairy products can harm your health, "The Cheese Trap" rounds up a growing chorus of anti-dairy perspectives, evidence and experiences.

And if you just want to drop some pounds, Barnard argues that skipping meat, cheese and dairy might be a way to accomplish that goal.

Research conducted by PCRM shows that animal fats tend to slow the metabolism down, which could mean increased dairy consumption is linked to weight gain trends across the nation.

Vegetarians who avoid dairy products weighed 15 pounds less, on average, than vegetarians who kept their ice cream and cheese consumption going. Amid a rising obesity epidemic, that's enough evidence, he said, to avoid the "chubby cheddar."

"We have done similar studies with hundreds of men and women and have found powerful weight loss in every study," Barnard wrote.

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At the helm of PCRM — a nonprofit that recently opened a clinical practice in Washington, D.C., that relies on plant-based medicine as a first step to combat chronic disease — Barnard has also authored texts like the "21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart," "Power Foods For The Brain," and "Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes."

"The Cheese Trap" is a contribution to the growing conversation and evidence that links food and health. As part of that evolution, Barnard details how his staff has taken federal nutrition experts to task. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are recommendations compiled every five years, conclusions based on expert testimony and study that become blueprints for the school lunch program, dietitians and ordinary Americans who try to pay attention to what they eat.

Barnard details in the book how PCRM staff have lobbied in court to limit contributions to federal nutrition experts by industry groups like the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board, Nestle and Dannon. PCRM also battled the government to crack down on false claims in advertising by the dairy industry.

For readers intrigued by Barnard's anti-dairy pitch, more than 65 recipes come inside "The Cheese Trap." For identifying food problems linked to migraines, chronic pain, inflammation and other maladies the author talks about, an appendix discusses the concept of an elimination diet.

Jere Downs can be reached at 502-582-4669, JDowns@Courier-Journal.com and Jere Downs on Facebook.

Four flavorful cheese alternatives

V-Grits soul sauces

Giving up cheese is "a pain point," according to V-Grits, the Louisville vegan food impresarios best-known for their food truck. But V-Grits has begun turning out faux cheese, too. And if you've eaten anything off their food truck, which specializes in vegan Southern food, you know V-Grits has nailed the creamy, tangy flavor of cheese without any dairy. Find mild cheddar cashew, mozzarella cashew, or pimento cashew at Lucky's or Rainbow Blossom Foods for about $6.

Treeline tree cheese

Treeline, also known as "tree cheese," makes a play on this spread's roots in cashew nuts. Found at Kroger and other major retailers, Treeline's scallion flavor "creamy soft, French-style, treenut cheese" tastes pretty good on a savory bagel. Look for it in a 6-ounce plastic tub for about $6. Like true dairy cheese, Treeline products are made by culturing cashew milk.

Kite Hill

Kite Hill vegan cheeses are cultured from almond milk with a team that includes a Stanford University biochemist, an artisan cheese maker and Tal Ronnen, the chef from Crossroads, the acclaimed vegan restaurant in Los Angeles. You can find a complete line of Kite Hill cheeses at Whole Foods - most priced around $9.99 - including a ricotta for your plant-based lasagna. Kite Hill is so good, your family may not even notice it's not real cheese.

Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional yeast is the gateway seasoning for many people experimenting with cheese alternatives. Sprinkle these tangy, tasty, deactivated yeast flakes on popcorn, baked potatoes or salad.

Faux 'cream cheese'

Use in recipes or as a replacement for standard cream cheese for use on bagels and sandwiches. This non-dairy recipe turns out about one cup. For additional flavor, add sliced green onion, freshly-chopped herbs or a teaspoon of miso.

1 cup soaked raw cashews (soak raw, unsalted cashews in water between one hour and overnight)

1/4 cup plain, nondairy yogurt

1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoon guar gum (optional)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients until very smooth.

Guar gum is a thickener availably by Bob's Red Mill at Wal-Mart of Amazon.com You can leave it out. Use patience and be willing to experiment.

Source: Dreena Burton, The Cheese Trap