Are Oreos Addictive Like Cocaine? New Study Proves They Are As Addicting As Drugs

A Connecticut College study has found evidence that shows Oreo cookies are just as addictive as cocaine -- at least in lab rats. The study was designed to show that there is the potential for addictiveness of both high-fat and high-sugar foods, and Professor Joseph Schroeder and his students found eating the cookies activated more neurons in the rats' brains' "pleasure center" than exposure to cocaine or morphine. "Our research supports the theory that high-fat/high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do," Schroeder said. "It may explain why some people can't resist these foods despite the fact that they know they are bad for them."

In the study, hungry rats on one side of a maze were given Oreos. Rats on the other side of the maze were given rice cakes. "Just like humans, rats don't seem to get much pleasure out of eating them," Schroeder said of the rice cakes. Then, rats on one side of the maze were given a shot of cocaine or morphine, while rats on the other side were given saline. According to Connecticut College, Schroeder is licensed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to purchase and use controlled substances for research. The research showed that the rats conditioned with Oreos spent as much time on the "drug" side of the maze as the rats conditioned with cocaine or morphine. It also showed that Oreos activated significantly more neurons than cocaine or morphine.

College officials said the research was started by neuroscience major Jamie Honohan, who was interested in how the prevalence of high-fat and high-sugar foods in lower-income neighborhoods contributes to the obesity epidemic. "My research interests stemmed from a curiosity for studying human behavior and our motivations when it comes to food," Honohan said in a statement. "We chose Oreos not only because they are America's favorite cookie, and highly palatable to rats, but also because products containing high amounts of fat and sugar are heavily marketed in communities with lower socioeconomic statuses."

According to The Courant, Honohan would like to be a physician assistant, and she hopes the research will lead to a greater understanding of how difficult it may be for people to quit eating the high-fat, high-sugar foods that can lead to obesity. "Maybe we can approach obesity the same way we address people addicted to drugs, because neurologically, it's the same," she said. "Oreos and other high-fat, high-sugar foods have this potential to be just as addicting as drugs of abuse." Honohan added that in some ways junk foods may "be more dangerous to society than drugs because you don't have to go behind into a dark alley to buy them. You go into any grocery store or bodega and they are highly available and affordable. They target kids and families on a budget."