Oreo: ‘Addictive As Cocaine,’ Say Scientists
Apparently America’s favorite cookies, Oreos, are as addictive as cocaine. This is according to researchers at Connecticut College, who tested the cookies on rats.
Jamie Honohan, who devised and authored the study, did so in order to research the connection between high-fat, high-sugar food in neighborhoods which are low on the socio-economic scale.
Honohan said about the study:
My research interests stemmed from a curiosity for studying human behavior and our motivations when it comes to food. We chose Oreos not only because they are America’s favorite cookie, and highly palatable to rats, but also because products containing high amounts of fat and sugar are heavily marketed in communities with lower socioeconomic statuses.
During the study, the researchers devised a maze. On one side were rats and a yummy sweet Oreo cookie and on the other side a rice cake. Of course, the hungry rats went straight for the addictive Oreo, opening it up to get at the creamy filling first. (Hey, I do that!)
A similar study was carried out where rats were given a shot of cocaine on one side of the maze and a shot of saline on the other. It was found that the rats who were conditioned with the Oreos spent as much time on the drug side of the maze as the rats conditioned with cocaine.
The research suggests that in actual fact the Oreos: “activated significantly more neurons than cocaine or morphine.” In other words Oreos may be more addictive than Cocaine.
Professor Joseph Schroeder who was also involved with running the study said: “Our research supports the theory that high-fat/ high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do.”
Continuing that: “It may explain why some people can’t resist these foods despite the fact that they know they are bad for them.”
What do you think about the study which finds that Oreos are addictive? Do you think the experiment involving the rats proves that the cookies are as addictive to humans as cocaine? Share your thoughts in the comments feed.
