A New Addiction Threat — Three Layers with Cream Filing – Your Health Detective

As if consumers needed one more food or food-group to be concerned about, here’s yet another scary finding that was recently presented by Joseph Schroeder, Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Behavioral Neuroscience at the Connecticut College…click to continue reading…

The purpose of the study was to shed light on the potential addictive properties of high-fat and high-sugar foods. Schroeder and his students found that rats formed an equally strong association between the pleasurable effects of eating America’s “favorite” cookie, Oreos, as they did between cocaine or morphine in a specific environment. To make matters worse, they found that eating cookies actually activated more neurons in the “pleasure center” of the brain than exposure to drugs of abuse. According to Schroeder, “Our research supports the theory that high-fat/high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do. It may explain why some people can’t resist these foods despite the fact that they know they are unhealthy for them.”

Professor Schroeder is licensed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to purchase and use controlled substances for reserch. His research showed that rats conditioned with Oreos spent as much time on the “drug” side of the testing maze as the rats conditioned with cocaine or morphine. According to Schroeder, this testing shows us, “…how many cells were turned on in a specific region of the brain in response to the drugs or Oreos.” The findings were something for us all to take notice and take action — the Oreos activated significantly more neurons than cocaine or morphine! This adds to immunohistochemistry theory that lends support to the hypothesis that high-fat/high-sugar foods can be considered additive, according to Schroeder.

Schroeder’s concern is that, “Even though we associate significant health hazards in taking drugs likes cocaine and morphine, high-fat/high-sugar foods may present even more of a danger because of their easy accessibility and affordability.”

Schroeder presented his research at the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego.

The Way I See It…

The community at large, just doesn’t get it…I believe my readers and clients do! Remember to eat LIVE food, regardless of what type of cookie, if you need a snack eat healthy ones where you can identify each ingredient and make an informed decision — I personally prefer gluten-free cookies, muffins and biscotti’s…with all natural ingredients, Naturally.

Disclaimer: this investigative report is just that, an investigative report, and in no way a product attack on Oreos or their manufacturer but rather presented as educational material to enable consumers to make better nutritional and health decisions.

conncoll.edu/news, Oct, 2013