How is cheese like heroin?

(NaturalNews) Anyone who read Andrew Weil's groundbreaking 1970s-era book,, is already familiar with the correlation between highly processed foods and addictive drugs.Weil observed way back then that the refinement of natural sugars into pure white crystals, for example, can trigger addictive behavior patterns in humans that are similar to those created by the refinement of coca leaf into pure cocaine. He suggested that the over-processing and ingesting of many foods and other substances will produce similar results.A recent study conducted by a group of University of Michigan researchers reinforces this theory about food addictions. The report, which was published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, concludes that "cheese really is crack", as theput it:Even if you have never heard of Weil or this new study, you are likely already familiar with the addictive properties of food, especially gooey, fat, delicious cheese such as that found on top of pizzas, right? If not, perhaps you're a soda pop junkie instead? We already know that the worst foods are the most addictive ones. It doesn't take a fancy scientific study to tell us that.Nevertheless, the findings are interesting. At least we now have somewhat of an excuse for obsessively stuffing our faces with Oreos, camembert or whatever our fix happens to be.The conclusion of the report states:In other words, the highly processed foods work on our bodies in similar ways that addictive hard drugs do: they are absorbed into our bloodstreams quickly and in high doses, but do they actually give us a "rush" or a "high" similar to hard drugs?Dr. Neal Barnard is the president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and has written a book titledin which he explores the mechanics of food addiction.Barnard explains the addictive effect of the "casomorphins" that are produced in the body and released in the brain upon digestion of cheese:It's official: cheese is the new heroin. Does that mean we should all go cold turkey and kick the queso habit altogether?In the case of cheese, my opinion is that you don't need to eliminate it completely from your diet (except, of course, those pasteurized processed imitation cheese substitutes). Sure, cheese can be addictive and fattening, but it's not necessarily unhealthy if enjoyed in moderation. As for refined sugar, you should avoid it as much as possible.You should avoid processed foods in general and choose fresh organic fruits, vegetables, and sustainable meat and dairy products whenever possible.