If you’ve ever felt withdraws when you’ve gone a while without a nice slice of pizza, do not panic. You are not alone and you may be surprised to also know that science says cheese is as addictive as cocaine.
A study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine revealed that pizza is the most addictive food.
The study utilized the Yale Food Addiction Scale and surveyed 120 undergraduate students and 400 adults. The study aimed to find whether the participants had a problem controlling how much they ate of a particular food. Eighteen of the items were processed foods. Topping the list were pizza, chocolate, chips, cookies, ice cream, french fries, cake, and soda.
The lead author of the study, Erica Schulte, explained that “In a similar manner that drugs are processed to increase their addictive potential, this study provides insight that highly processed foods may be intentionally manufactured to be particularly rewarding through the addition of fat and refined carbohydrates, like white flour and sugar.”
The entire list is below:
1. Pizza
2. Chocolate
3. Chips
4. Cookie
5. Ice Cream
6. French Fries
7. Cheeseburger
8. Non-Diet Soda
9. Cake
10. Cheese
11. Bacon
12. Fried Chicken
13. Rolls
14. Buttered Popcorn
15. Cereal
16. Gummies
17. Steak
18. Muffins
19. Nuts
20. Eggs
21. Chicken Breast
22. Pretzels
23. Plain Crackers
24. Water
25. Granola Bar
26. Strawberries
27. Corn (without butter or salt)
28. Salmon
29. Banana
30. Broccoli
31. Plain Brown Rice
32. Apple
33. Beans
34. Carrots
35. Cucumbers
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