Everyone likes cheese. No, wait, everyone loves cheese. There’s a reason we all love sprinkling parmesan on our pasta, grilling a gooey cheese-filled sandwich, and straight up snacking on the stuff in between meals. That reason may be a bit more sinister than our love of fatty foods, in fact, it may be more biological than we ever imagined. According to a study out of the University of Michigan, we’re basically addicted to cheese as if it were a drug. The researchers were set out to define “the drugs of the food world,” and pinpointed just what makes cheese so dang irresistible. The protein known as casein has been named the culprit in our unashamed addiction. Casein is responsible for releasing opiates, “casomorphins,” during digestion. In turn, these casomorphins mess with our dopamine receptors and trigger addictive responses in our brains. This leads researchers to question the whole weight loss theory of "cutting back" on certain foods. What if cheese isn't the only food having this impact? The source says this is the first step in identifying foods that may trigger addictive responses. It may very well be just the tip of iceberg when it comes to labeling foods as "addictive." As far as cheese being as addictive as drugs, namely cocaine? I don't think so. Do you? READ NEXT: 22 Tasty, But Extremely Unhealthy Snacks You Should Avoid