297021 Thu May 06 14:40:24 -0700 2004 4 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1637884 I just saw the new movie "Super Size Me" (great fun, by the way) and a passing bit of information caught my attention. One of the people interviewed, speaking of the possibly addictive aspects of fast-food hamburgers, mentioned the properties of cheese as a factor. This was news to me. Does anyone know anything about cheese either triggering a "rush" or being addictive, in the way chocolate is considered addictive? Thu May 06 14:40:24 -0700 2004 0 Fida 1 1637890 The interviewee wasn't Neal Barnard, was it? He's written extensively on this topic. From the link below: ---------------------------------------------------- “It’s not gluttony, weak will, or an oral personality that keep some of us tied to certain foods,” explains Dr. Barnard. “There’s a biochemical reason many of us feel we can’t live without our daily meat, cheese, or sugar fix. Cheese, for example, contains high levels of casein, a protein that breaks apart during digestion to produce morphine-like opiate compounds, called casomorphins. These opiates are believed to be responsible for the mother-infant bond that occurs during nursing. It’s no surprise many of us feel bonded to the refrigerator.” Link: http://www.pcrm.org/news/health030529.html Thu May 06 15:33:55 -0700 2004 1637884 0 Grace 2 1637898 PCRM is a well-known PETA front and has their own agenda. Don't believe everything you read (including this, of course). Link: http://www.ncahf.org/articles/o-r/pcrm.html Thu May 06 15:55:25 -0700 2004 1637890 0 Caviar 3 1637913 Agreed. I don't endorse Barnard or PCRM; I was just passing it along. Thu May 06 18:46:45 -0700 2004 1637898 0 Grace 4 1637947 Thanks. Luckily for me, I prefer chocolate to Big Macs. Fri May 07 12:31:20 -0700 2004 1637913 0 Fida