Why Cheese Is Addictive

[Guest guest]

Breaking the Food Seduction

by Neal D. Barnard, M.D

 

http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/barnard_food_seduction.htm

 

Is cheddar cheese addicting? How about steak? Or

sugar? In Breaking the Food Seduction, PCRM president

Neal Barnard, M.D. presents the evidence that these

foods might actually have brain effects that keep you

coming back, despite their health risks.

 

In PCRM's research studies, when we take people off

meat, dairy products, and other unhealthy fare, we

often find that the desire for cheese, in particular,

lingers on much more strongly than for other foods.

While they might like ice cream or yogurt, they

describe their feelings for cheese as a deep-seated

craving. Could cheese really be addictive?

 

Well, in 1981, Eli Hazum and his colleagues at

Wellcome Research Laboratories in Research Triangle

Park, N.C., reported a remarkable discovery. Analyzing

samples of cow's milk, they found traces of a chemical

that looked very much like morphine. They put it to

one chemical test after another. And, finally, they

arrived at the conclusion that, in fact, it is

morphine. There is not a lot of it and not every

sample had detectable levels. But there is indeed some

morphine in both cow's milk and human milk.

 

Morphine, of course, is an opiate and is highly

addictive. So how did it get into milk? At first, the

researchers theorized that it must have come from the

cows' diets. After all, morphine used in hospitals

comes from poppies and is also produced naturally by a

few other plants that the cows might have been eating.

But it turns out that cows actually produce it within

their bodies, just as poppies do. Traces of morphine,

along with codeine and other opiates, are apparently

produced in cows' livers and can end up in their milk.

 

But that was only the beginning, as other researchers

soon found. Cow's milk-or the milk of any other

species, for that matter-contains a protein, called

casein, that breaks apart during digestion to release

a whole host of opiates, called casomorphins. A cup of

cow's milk contains about six grams of casein. Skim

milk contains a bit more, and casein is concentrated

in the production of cheese.

 

If you examined a casein molecule under a powerful

microscope, it would look like a long chain of beads

(the " beads " are amino acids-simple building blocks

that combine to make up all the proteins in your

body). When you drink a glass of milk or eat a slice

of cheese, stomach acid and intestinal bacteria snip

the casein molecular chains into casomorphins of

various lengths. One of them, a short string made up

of just five amino acids, has about one-tenth the

pain-killing potency of morphine.

 

What are these opiates doing there, hidden in milk

proteins? It appears that the opiates from mother's

milk produce a calming effect on the infant and, in

fact, may be responsible for a good measure of the

mother-infant bond. No, it's not all lullabies and

cooing. Psychological bonds always have a physical

underpinning. Like it or not, mother's milk has a

drug-like effect on the baby's brain that ensures that

the baby will bond with Mom and continue to nurse and

get the nutrients all babies need. Like heroin or

codeine, casomorphins slow intestinal movements and

have a decided antidiarrheal effect. The opiate effect

may be why adults often find that cheese can be

constipating, just as opiate painkillers are.

 

It is an open question to what extent dairy opiates

enter the adult circulation. Until the 1990s,

researchers thought that these protein fragments were

too large to pass through the intestinal wall into the

blood, except in infants, whose immature digestive

tracts are not very selective about what passes

through. They theorized that milk opiates mainly acted

within the digestive tract and that they signaled

comfort or relief to the brain indirectly, through the

hormones traveling from the intestinal tract to the

brain.

 

But French researchers fed skim milk and yogurt to

volunteers and found that, sure enough, at least some

casein fragments do pass into the bloodstream. They

reach their peak about 40 minutes after eating.

 

Cheese contains far more casein than other dairy

products do. As milk is turned into cheese, most of

its water, whey proteins, and lactose sugar are

removed, leaving behind concentrated casein and fat.

 

Cheese holds other drug-like compounds as well. It

contains an amphetamine-like chemical called

phenylethylamine, or PEA, which is also found in

chocolate and sausage. And there are many hormones and

other compounds in cheese and other dairy products

whose functions are not yet understood. In naloxone

tests, the opiate-blocking drug eliminates some of

cheese's appeal, just as it does for chocolate.

 

--- Matthew Faupel <matthew wrote:

 

> Thanks for the ideas - I'll try them out once I'm

> off the diet!

>

> Cheers,

>

>

> Matthew

>

> , " John Davis "

> <mcxg46 wrote:

> >

> > Hi Matthew,

> >

> > The Cheezly stuff is the best I know of for

> melting. Though I find

> the

> > mozzarella isn't the best of them, as it tends to

> lump together

> when you

> > grate it so it doesn't spread very easily. Edam

> works quite well,

> if memory

> > serves.

> >

> > I sometimes mix Cheezly with marg and herbs to

> create a spread.

> I've never

> > tried putting this on a pizza, but it might make

> for a more even

> melt.

> > Alternatively, there is a fake cheese powder

> around which, mixed

> with water

> > and heated, turns into a pretty good chees sauce.

> I wonder if that

> could be

> > made to a much thicker texture and used on a

> pizza?

> >

> > John

> >

> > -

> > " Matthew Faupel " <matthew

> >

> > Tuesday, May 08, 2007 1:54 PM

> > Vegan melting cheese

> >

> >

> > > Hi,

> > >

> > > I've been looking for a good melting " cheese "

> pizza topping for a

> > > while. The Cheezly " super melting " mozzarella

> is OK, but unlike

> normal

> > > cheese, it doesn't flow very much. Whether you

> leave it in

> slices or

> > > grate it, it doesn't really spread to cover the

> whole pizza, so

> you end

> > > up getting clumps of topping.

> > >

> > > I've had the idea of maybe trying to liquidize

> this and then mix

> it

> > > with a little (vegan) milk or cream to get it to

> the consistency

> of

> > > thick custard and then pour it over the pizza to

> get a more

> consistent

> > > distribution, however I'm on a diet at the

> moment and so won't

> have the

> > > chance to try this for a while :-)

> > >

> > > Anyone else had any success in creating a

> realistic looking vegan

> pizza?

> > >

> > > Cheers,

> > >

> > >

> > > Matthew

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > ~~ info

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> > > Please remember that the above is only the

> opinion of the author,

> > > there may be another side to the story you have

> not heard.

> > >

>

---------------------------

> > > Was this message Off Topic? Did you know? Was

> it snipped?

> > >

>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> > > Guidelines: visit <site temporarily offline>

> > > Un: send a blank message to -

>

> > >

[Guest guest]

Wow - thank you for posting this, its amazing, and explains the cravings. I

am suffering after

eating the cheese at the weekend - my asthma is bad and my allergies awful -

I'm back to taking

antihistamines and using my ventolin inhaler regularly ....and you dont want

me to bore on

about catarrh !!

 

Also I had noticed that after sticking to a vegan diet for four weeks that

not only did I

rarely have to use my inhalers/antihistamines ...but I was beginning to have

more energy -

which is amazing as I have ALWAYS been a low energy person!! Not that I

dont fit a lot into

the day - I do, I have four children that keep me busy, a labrador that

needs long walks and a

huge allotment - but I always feel tired and have been moaning to my husband

for years that

I get up tired - and go to bed tired - and there isnt a lot of difference in

my energy levels

inbetween!

 

Sorry for rambling on - thank you for posting this!

 

Alison

ps - another difference possibly linked to this article - when I eat dairy

milk chocolate I find

I constantly crave more and more and more ....however I was excited to find

that Green & Blacks

dark chocolate (the plain high cocoa one) is vegan ...and the strange thing

is I can eat a couple of

squares when I fancy it - every other day or so ...I dont get any cravings

to consume more and more

like with other chocolate. I'd always put that down to the sugar/cocoa

....but maybe it's the milk in it

that caused the cravings.

 

 

 

 

Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.6.5/793 - Release 07/05/2007

14:55

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Alison,

There have bee several studies linking dairy produce to increased mucus

production leading to problems breathing/colds etc...so going vegan can only

help.

 

The Valley Vegan................

 

Alison Goodyer <alison.goodyer wrote:

Wow - thank you for posting this, its amazing, and explains the

cravings. I

am suffering after

eating the cheese at the weekend - my asthma is bad and my allergies awful -

I'm back to taking

antihistamines and using my ventolin inhaler regularly ....and you dont want

me to bore on

about catarrh !!

 

Also I had noticed that after sticking to a vegan diet for four weeks that

not only did I

rarely have to use my inhalers/antihistamines ...but I was beginning to have

more energy -

which is amazing as I have ALWAYS been a low energy person!! Not that I

dont fit a lot into

the day - I do, I have four children that keep me busy, a labrador that

needs long walks and a

huge allotment - but I always feel tired and have been moaning to my husband

for years that

I get up tired - and go to bed tired - and there isnt a lot of difference in

my energy levels

inbetween!

 

Sorry for rambling on - thank you for posting this!

 

Alison

ps - another difference possibly linked to this article - when I eat dairy

milk chocolate I find

I constantly crave more and more and more ....however I was excited to find

that Green & Blacks

dark chocolate (the plain high cocoa one) is vegan ...and the strange thing

is I can eat a couple of

squares when I fancy it - every other day or so ...I dont get any cravings

to consume more and more

like with other chocolate. I'd always put that down to the sugar/cocoa

....but maybe it's the milk in it

that caused the cravings.

 

 

 

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14:55

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hope you make it!

 

The Valley Vegan.............

 

 

Thanks Pete for the encouragement - I do appreciate it!! Becoming a

vegetarian

all those years back was easy peasey .....becoming vegan isnt !!!

 

Alison

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

If you're really mad about cheese, you may find it easier to cut it out

entirely now, rather than be dissatisfied with the difference between dairy

cheese and other cheeses. After a few months of no cheese, these will then

be great fun.

 

I remember back in the seventies at the Vegan Cafe in London deciding we

were going to try and make a cauliflower cheese, which Cat and I ended up

concocting using tahini, peanut butter, wholemeal " white " sauce and bit of

tamari and paprika. We thought this was a tremendous achievement and the

vegans both in the co-op and who ate in the cafe were mightily impressed,

whereas the veggies and omnis told us " it's very nice but nothing like

cheese " :-)

 

Cheers

 

Mike

[Guest guest]

On 9 May 2007, at 09:37, Michael Benis wrote:

>

> I remember back in the seventies at the Vegan Cafe in London

> deciding we

> were going to try and make a cauliflower cheese, which Cat and I

> ended up

> concocting using tahini, peanut butter, wholemeal " white " sauce and

> bit of

> tamari and paprika. We thought this was a tremendous achievement

> and the

> vegans both in the co-op and who ate in the cafe were mightily

> impressed,

> whereas the veggies and omnis told us " it's very nice but nothing like

> cheese " :-)

>

 

Yes, it's all relative, as they say. ;-)

 

For those who miss the savoury tangy taste of cheese, I can recommend

the Un-Cheese Cookbook by Joanne Stepaniak - lots of recipes for

" cheese " sauces etc - even a " cheese " fondue recipe (!). Nutritional

yeast is great for making sauces. We just sprinkle nutritional yeast

on top of of pasta etc to get a similar effect to grated cheese.

 

Paul

[Guest guest]

Hi Alison:

 

My veganism teetered on and off

because of cheese. I couldn't break

my addiction to it. Then I found

out about the concept of " rawfoods "

(eating uncooked vegan foods).

 

Whether cheese contained addictive

opiates, or maybe growth hormones,

I couldn't break the habit, until

I started eating my vegan food " raw. "

Eating my food raw helped me overcome

my addictions!

 

The linked sites below decribe the process

in better detail than I am doing here.

 

all the best,

 

tev

 

 

http://www.rawfoodlife.com/

http://www.rawvegan.com/

http://www.living-foods.com/

http://www.fresh-network.com/ [uK-based]

http://www.rawfoodchef.com/

http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/home/home_a.html

http://www.livrite.com/raw.htm

http://www.happycow.net/raw/raw_living.html

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/

http://rawvegans.tribe.net/

http://www.rawveganradio.podomatic.com/

http://www.rawveganchannel.com/

http://www.rawganique.com/RawForLife4.htm

http://goneraw.com/

 

 

 

--- Alison Goodyer <alison.goodyer

wrote:

 

> Wow - thank you for posting this, its amazing, and

> explains the cravings. I

> am suffering after

> eating the cheese at the weekend - my asthma is bad

> and my allergies awful -

> I'm back to taking

> antihistamines and using my ventolin inhaler

> regularly ....and you dont want

> me to bore on

> about catarrh !!

>

> Also I had noticed that after sticking to a vegan

> diet for four weeks that

> not only did I

> rarely have to use my inhalers/antihistamines ...but

> I was beginning to have

> more energy -

> which is amazing as I have ALWAYS been a low energy

> person!! Not that I

> dont fit a lot into

> the day - I do, I have four children that keep me

> busy, a labrador that

> needs long walks and a

> huge allotment - but I always feel tired and have

> been moaning to my husband

> for years that

> I get up tired - and go to bed tired - and there

> isnt a lot of difference in

> my energy levels

> inbetween!

>

> Sorry for rambling on - thank you for posting this!

>

> Alison

> ps - another difference possibly linked to this

> article - when I eat dairy

> milk chocolate I find

> I constantly crave more and more and more

> ....however I was excited to find

> that Green & Blacks

> dark chocolate (the plain high cocoa one) is vegan

> ...and the strange thing

> is I can eat a couple of

> squares when I fancy it - every other day or so ...I

> dont get any cravings

> to consume more and more

> like with other chocolate. I'd always put that down

> to the sugar/cocoa

> ...but maybe it's the milk in it

> that caused the cravings.

 

 

“Until he extends his circle of compassion to all

living things, man will not himself find peace. "

--Albert Schweitzer

 

http://www.vegconnect.com/

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thank you for this! I desperately need to try and do something

and if this has worked for you, it could well work for me too !!

 

I'm going to save this email and look at the links tomorrow!

 

Thanks again!

 

Alison

 

---Original Message-----

On Behalf Of

tev treowlufu

10 May 2007 20:46

 

RE: Why Cheese Is Addictive

 

 

Hi Alison:

 

My veganism teetered on and off

because of cheese. I couldn't break

my addiction to it. Then I found

out about the concept of " rawfoods "

(eating uncooked vegan foods).

 

Whether cheese contained addictive

opiates, or maybe growth hormones,

I couldn't break the habit, until

I started eating my vegan food " raw. "

Eating my food raw helped me overcome

my addictions!

 

The linked sites below decribe the process

in better detail than I am doing here.

 

all the best,

 

tev

 

http://www.rawfoodlife.com/

http://www.rawvegan.com/

http://www.living-foods.com/

http://www.fresh-network.com/ [uK-based]

http://www.rawfoodchef.com/

http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/home/home_a.html

http://www.livrite.com/raw.htm

http://www.happycow.net/raw/raw_living.html

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/

http://rawvegans.tribe.net/

http://www.rawveganradio.podomatic.com/

http://www.rawveganchannel.com/

http://www.rawganique.com/RawForLife4.htm

http://goneraw.com/

 

--- Alison Goodyer <alison.goodyer

wrote:

 

> Wow - thank you for posting this, its amazing, and

> explains the cravings. I

> am suffering after

> eating the cheese at the weekend - my asthma is bad

> and my allergies awful -

> I'm back to taking

> antihistamines and using my ventolin inhaler

> regularly ....and you dont want

> me to bore on

> about catarrh !!

>

> Also I had noticed that after sticking to a vegan

> diet for four weeks that

> not only did I

> rarely have to use my inhalers/antihistamines ...but

> I was beginning to have

> more energy -

> which is amazing as I have ALWAYS been a low energy

> person!! Not that I

> dont fit a lot into

> the day - I do, I have four children that keep me

> busy, a labrador that

> needs long walks and a

> huge allotment - but I always feel tired and have

> been moaning to my husband

> for years that

> I get up tired - and go to bed tired - and there

> isnt a lot of difference in

> my energy levels

> inbetween!

>

> Sorry for rambling on - thank you for posting this!

>

> Alison

> ps - another difference possibly linked to this

> article - when I eat dairy

> milk chocolate I find

> I constantly crave more and more and more

> ....however I was excited to find

> that Green & Blacks

> dark chocolate (the plain high cocoa one) is vegan

> ...and the strange thing

> is I can eat a couple of

> squares when I fancy it - every other day or so ...I

> dont get any cravings

> to consume more and more

> like with other chocolate. I'd always put that down

> to the sugar/cocoa

> ...but maybe it's the milk in it

> that caused the cravings.

 

“Until he extends his circle of compassion to all

living things, man will not himself find peace. "

--Albert Schweitzer

 

http://www.vegconnect.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.6.6/795 - Release 09/05/2007

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