Are You Addicted to Oreos?
Oreos are as addictive as cocaine — it’s all some people have been talking about for the past 24 hours. In case you’ve missed it, or you’ve been on that one-way trip to Mars, there was a study done that claims that oreos may be as addictive as some drugs. In the study, Connecticut College Professor Joseph Schroeder and his students discovered that, in rats, oreos stimulated the same pleasure center in the brain as drugs like cocaine and morphine. In some cases, eating the cookie actually triggered more neurons in the brain than both drugs (you can view the study here). Perhaps this is why you just can’t seem to keep your hands out of the cookie jar.
So are you addicted to Oreos? Hold on, before we run off to tell all of our friends that it’s not our fault that we’ve succumbed to the double-stuffed sensation time and time again, let’s get a few things straight. While the headline “Oreos Are as Addictive as Drugs†sure is catchy, is it really the whole truth? The reason you might be addicted to Oreos may just be in your head. Science blog ZME Science says that there aren’t enough scientific studies done to differentiate physical and psychological oreo dependence in actual human beings. ZME asks us the million dollar question, “If you stop eating Oreos, do you experience Oreo withdrawal?†You might think you do, but I think ZME debunked this one rather quickly (you can view ZME’s blog here). So is this another headline that will become a gateway for us Americans to up our Oreo habits or will science lasso it down before society makes it a fact?
Photo credit: Paul Bryans
Michael is the Editor-in-Chief of New Jersey Digest and Creative Director at X Factor Media. A Bergen County native, he discovered his passion for storytelling while studying at Montclair State University. In addition to his work in journalism and media, Michael is an avid fiction writer. Outside the office, he enjoys kayaking, a bold glass of Nebbiolo, and the fine art of over-editing.