Pizza And Chocolate Can Be As Addictive As Drugs, New Study Says

Researchers have found that certain processed foods can be as addictive as drugs of abuse, and suddenly our late-night cravings make so much more sense.  A new study published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One conducted by scientists from the University of Michigan concluded that our body absorbs highly-processed foods in much the same manner as addictive drugs like cocaine. With similar pharmacokinetic properties as drugs of abuse, certain processed foods like pizza and chocolate have addictive qualities.

Just last week we reported on a scientist who hypothesized that cheese is just as addictive as morphine. However, cheese was only ranked number 10 on this list.

Based on properties like glycemic index, the rate of refined carbohydrates, and sugar levels most closely associated with highly processed foods, researchers were able to rank foods based on their most addictive qualities. After observing how the study's participant reacted to each of the predetermined foods, researchers ranked the processed foods that had the most "drug-like" qualities. Here are the top 10 most problematic foods, according to the researchers:

#10 Cheese

#9 Cake

#8 Soda

#7 Cheeseburger

#6 French Fries

#5 Ice Cream

#4 Cookies

#3 Chips

#2 Chocolate

#1 Pizza