News: Are Oreos as addictive as cocaine?

When you open a box of Oreos, do you find you’re unable to resist having one, and another…and another?

That could be because those famous crunchy cookies with creamy filling are just as addictive as drugs, according to a new study.

The study, done at Connecticut College, tested the addictive qualities of Oreos by feeding hungry rats rice cakes on one side of a maze and Oreos on the other side.

Rats were allowed to roam free in the maze, where they were monitored to see how much time they spent on the side of the maze where they were usually fed Oreos.

Researchers then compared their results to those of another study: One that did the same thing, but with injections of cocaine or morphine on one side of the maze, and a shot of saline on the other.

Turns out, the Oreo-loving rats spent just as much time on the side of the maze that fed their addiction as the rats in the previous study, who were addicted to cocaine or morphine.

‘Even though we associate significant health hazards in taking drugs like cocaine and morphine, high-fat/ high-sugar foods may present even more of a danger because of their accessibility and affordability,’ Joseph Schroeder, associate professor of psychology of the behavioral neuroscience program at Connecticut College said in a press release.

Do you think Oreos are addictive? How many times have you caught yourself eating an entire row – or package?

-Katharine Watts, associate web editor

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