Fancy some feta? Study suggests that cheese is as addictive as drugs

If you've ever found yourself frantically demolishing a cheese board (with a glass of wine, of course) on a Friday night, it may not be discipline that's the issue, it's addiction.

While we all know that hard drugs like cocaine and heroin are highly addictive, you may be more surprised to discover that your mozzarella habit might be as difficult to beat as drugs. 

A study carried out by the University of Michigan set out to discover ‘the drugs of the food world.'

The reason cheese is so hooking is down to a protein called casein, which releases opiates called casomorphins during digestion.

Those casomorphins run riot with your dopamine receptors, triggering addictive elements in the brain.

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

"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."