If there's one thing that MH has (hopefully) taught you, it's that summer bodies are made in winter.

That's if you take it easy on the cheese board.

If that's not the case this winter, we won't blame you, as a new study by the University of Michigan has proved that cheese contains similarly addictive chemicals found in drugs.

This is a first step towards identifying specific foods...which can trigger this addictive response

In the research, 500 participants were surveyed on their food cravings. During the study, meals containing cheese were the most sought-after, owing to the amount of dairy found in the dish.

The dishes, including pizza, ranked highly due to high levels of casein, which triggered the participants' brain opiod receptors to offer a similar reaction to that of drug addiction.

While there isn't much casein in milk normally, the amount needed to make cheese spikes the casein content, offering a similar cognitive reaction to taking recreational drugs.

"This is a first step towards identifying specific foods, and properties of foods, which can trigger this addictive response," says co-author of the study, Nicole Avena. "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."

Edward Cooper Ed Cooper is the Deputy Digital Editor at Men’s Health UK, writing and editing about anything you want to know about — from tech to fitness, mental health to style, food and so much more.

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