I KNEW IT! :p

[No game 14,437]

Addiction Addicted to Oreos?

You truly might be,

Bob MacDonnell / Connecticut College

A rat and Oreos at Connecticut College in New London, Ct.

Oreos are as addictive as cocaine, at least for lab rats, and just like us, they like the creamy center best.

Eating the sugary treats activates more neurons in the brain’s “pleasure center” than drugs such as cocaine, the team at Connecticut College found.

“Our research supports the theory that high-fat/ high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do,” neuroscience assistant professor Joseph Schroeder says. “That may be one reason people have trouble staying away from them and it may be contributing to the obesity epidemic.”

Schroeder’s neuroscience students put hungry rats into a maze. On one side went rice cakes. “Just like humans, rats don’t seem to get much pleasure out of eating them,” Schroeder said. On the other side went Oreos.

Then the rats got the option of hanging out where they liked.

They compared the results to a different test. In that on, rats on one side if the maze got an injection of saline while those on the other side got injections of cocaine or morphine.

Rats seems to like the Cookies about as much as they liked the addictive drugs. When allowed to wander freely, they’d congregate on the Oreo side for about as much time as they would on the drug side.

Oh, and just like most people - the rats eat the creamy center first.

“These findings suggest that high fat/sugar foods and drugs of abuse trigger brain addictive processes to the same degree and lend support to the hypothesis that maladaptive eating behaviors contributing to obesity can be compared to drug addiction,” Schroeder’s team writes in a statement describing the study, to be presented at the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego next month.

“It really just speaks to the effects that high fat and high sugar foods and foods in general, can have on your body. The way they react in your brain, that was really surprising for me,” says Lauren Cameron, a student at Connecticut College who worked on the study.

“I haven't touched an Oreo since doing this experiment,” Schroeder says.

[McButterpants 2,846]

As someone who had Oreos in their house last week for the first time in many months, I can personally attest to this study. It's like they were at my house watching my son and me!

[Nicolanz 1,484]

Well, they are delicious!

[No game 14,437]

They have always been my all time favorite! My nana used to tell me "Laura those have lard in them" and I told her "I don't care if they have rat guts in them! The are my favorite"

Edited October 16, 2013 by laura-ven

[No game 14,437]

Factoid about the lard....

In the mid-1990s, health concerns prompted Nabisco to replace the lard in the filling with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.

Yum

[RJ'S/beginning 5,358]

Sure didn't need to waste their time abusing those rats..As most of us can attest to..Sugar is a drug of choice for most of us who use it as a comfort food.....Dang...wish it was turnip or something like that....lol

Never was an Oreo fan.....Maybe I did one thing right..If I had been, maybe I would have been a lot heavier before my surgery.....

Anyway...excellent information for us all..Thanks!

[JerseyGirl68 1,172]

Addiction Addicted to Oreos?

You truly might be,

Bob MacDonnell / Connecticut College

A rat and Oreos at Connecticut College in New London, Ct.

Oreos are as addictive as cocaine, at least for lab rats, and just like us, they like the creamy center best.

Eating the sugary treats activates more neurons in the brain’s “pleasure center” than drugs such as cocaine, the team at Connecticut College found.

“Our research supports the theory that high-fat/ high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do,” neuroscience assistant professor Joseph Schroeder says. “That may be one reason people have trouble staying away from them and it may be contributing to the obesity epidemic.”

Schroeder’s neuroscience students put hungry rats into a maze. On one side went rice cakes. “Just like humans, rats don’t seem to get much pleasure out of eating them,” Schroeder said. On the other side went Oreos.

Then the rats got the option of hanging out where they liked.

They compared the results to a different test. In that on, rats on one side if the maze got an injection of saline while those on the other side got injections of cocaine or morphine.

Rats seems to like the Cookies about as much as they liked the addictive drugs. When allowed to wander freely, they’d congregate on the Oreo side for about as much time as they would on the drug side.

Oh, and just like most people - the rats eat the creamy center first.

“These findings suggest that high fat/sugar foods and drugs of abuse trigger brain addictive processes to the same degree and lend support to the hypothesis that maladaptive eating behaviors contributing to obesity can be compared to drug addiction,” Schroeder’s team writes in a statement describing the study, to be presented at the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego next month.

“It really just speaks to the effects that high fat and high sugar foods and foods in general, can have on your body. The way they react in your brain, that was really surprising for me,” says Lauren Cameron, a student at Connecticut College who worked on the study.

“I haven't touched an Oreo since doing this experiment,” Schroeder says.

LOL I sent that article to my brother this morning.

[the-Russ 91]

Today is my last day to eat before I fast tomorrow and have surgery on Friday. Maybe I should eat a couple, but I like the cookie part more than the cream. Not wait I like the cream more than the cookie.

Alright, here's the truth.

[gamergirl 4,610]

Thanks for sharing this! My fav line in the article?

On one side went rice cakes. “Just like humans, rats don’t seem to get much pleasure out of eating them,” Schroeder said.

[Butterthebean 8,146]

I'm doubting this study. I will conduct my own Oreo study and get back to you with the results.

[No game 14,437]

I'm doubting this study. I will conduct my own Oreo study and get

back to you with the results.

To late, I already did it this morning. Everyone chose the Oreo over the rice cake. Including the dog....

[PGee 318]

Oh my gosh, I haven't had one in years............and someone left oreos in the kitchen to share......Oh, such temptation! I'm not even a big fan of Oreos, but man I wanted one LOL

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Hmm, injected cocaine and Oreo sugar blast. Poor rats are bouncing off the walls in the maze. I bet they do not know which direction is up and which is down. :)as for the Oreos, I have not had those in a long time (15 months). I think post op I prefer savory now over sweet. The more one refrains from eating sweet, ythe less desire there is for it. Give yourself 3-4 weeks sans sugar and you will feel great.

[Madam Reverie 2,958]

Would I be a social outcast if I admitted that I think Oreo Cookies are absolutely disgusting?

Now, Scottish all-butter shortbread.. That is a different matter entirely!

[Indigo1991 1,612]

Mmmmm, shortbread..... way better than deep fried Mars Bar...