Gary Dinges gdinges@gatehousemedia.com| The Columbus Dispatch
Here's something to think about next time you reach for a chocolate chip cookie: A new study says the sweet treats are just as addictive as cocaine.
Seriously.
The sugar, salt and fat in cookies combine to trigger various responses in the brain that are nearly identical to what a junkie feels after using drugs such as cocaine or marijuana, according to Miami TV station WPLG. Essentially, you can feel "high" after eating a cookie or two ... or three. That can create an addiction of sorts.
Rare reports the average chocolate chip cookie has 2.5 teaspoons of sugar, as well as fat from butter used during the cooking process. Together, theyrelease "feel-good brain chemicals." Salt, which is included in many — but not all —cookie recipes, makes things worse because it "lights up the emotional part of the brain."
The study was conducted by the University of Bordeaux in France.
"Overall, this research has revealed that sugar and sweet reward can not only substitute to addictive drugs, like cocaine, but can even be more rewarding and attractive," the study says.
