{"id":495171,"date":"2026-02-28T07:09:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T07:09:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/495171\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T07:09:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T07:09:24","slug":"foods-like-coca-cola-flavored-oreos-are-hijacking-your-brain-just-like-cigarettes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/495171\/","title":{"rendered":"Foods like Coca-Cola-flavored Oreos are \u2018hijacking\u2019 your brain \u2014 just like cigarettes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Call \u2019em crimes against the food pyramid<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Snack Gods have blessed us with some out-of-this-world fusions lately, dropping mashups like cr\u00e8me br\u00fbl\u00e9e grilled cheese<\/a>, barbecue-flavored Cheetos<\/a> and cheeseburger spring rolls<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Researchers are now warning that these types of craving crossovers \u2014 while oh-so-tantalizing \u2014 hook us by blending novelty with comforting nostalgia, a captivating combination that fuels overconsumption.<\/p>\n

\"Oreo-flavored<\/p>\n

Oreo-flavored Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola-flavored Oreos, a limited-time mashup introduced in 2024, are driving overconsumption of ultra-processed foods, researchers argue in a new health policy journal article. Coca-Cola<\/p>\n

\u201cBrand mash-ups like Coca-Cola-flavored Oreos or Oreo-flavored Coca-Cola stimulate human curiosity for new products all while leveraging the familiarity of popular brands,\u201d scientists wrote this month in Milbank Quarterly<\/a>, a\u00a0population health and health policy journal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThus, modern [ultra-processed foods] hijack evolutionary drives for novelty and familiarity to encourage further intake of their products.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are designed to be highly addictive and palatable<\/a>, triggering intense brain reward signals and the release of the \u201cfeel-good\u201d hormone dopamine.<\/p>\n

UPFs alarmingly constitute over half of the American diet<\/a>, despite being terrible for the body because they are rife with salt, sugar, fat and calories and low in fiber and essential nutrients.<\/p>\n

They are known to disrupt the delicate balance of bacteria in the gut, promote inflammation and lead to overeating. That\u2019s why UPFs have been linked to a higher risk of obesity, heart disease<\/a>, Type 2 diabetes, certain cancers<\/a> and even premature death.<\/p>\n

\"UPFs<\/p>\n

UPFs and tobacco cigarettes have a lot of unhealthy similarities, the researchers reported. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

In their Milbank Quarterly study, the researchers noted that UPFs and cigarettes are more alike than you might think.<\/p>\n

\u201cTobacco cigarettes and UPFs share many key features: both are industrially engineered substances that deliver powerful sensory experiences and have been, in some cases, produced or owned by the same corporations,\u201d the researchers wrote, pointing out that tobacco giants Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds acquired major food companies, including Kraft, General Foods and Nabisco, in the 1980s.<\/p>\n

The study authors drew other comparisons between tobacco and UPFs:<\/p>\n

They speedily deliver a \u201cjust right\u201d dose of their active compounds \u2014 nicotine in cigarettes and refined carbohydrates and fats in UPFs \u2014 to maximize the odds you\u2019ll come back for more.<\/p>\n

They use sensory triggers like taste and smell to spark an uncontrollable urge to consume.<\/p>\n

The highs are intense but brief, so you\u2019ll constantly seek them out.<\/p>\n

They are very convenient staples in daily routines.<\/p>\n

They deliver a predictable experience, but there\u2019s certainly room for innovation.<\/p>\n

\"Before<\/p>\n

Before you grab a slice of that glizzy pizza, you might want to consider how it might affect your heart, blood pressure and waistline. Pizza Hut<\/p>\n

The researchers reported that UPF manufacturers produce \u201cendless variations on the same base product.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMinor tweaks to flavoring agents, aroma compounds or texture modifiers yield a wide range of seemingly new products \u2014 such as sour cream and onion chips, barbecue chips or hot honey chips \u2014 that share nearly identical macronutrient profiles,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n

As for Coca-Cola-flavored Oreos and Oreo-flavored Coca-Cola, this limited-time mashup was introduced in 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Post reached out to reps for Coca-Cola and Oreo manufacturer Mondelez International for comment.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the researchers are calling for UPFs and tobacco to be regulated in similar ways \u2014 legal action for misleading health claims, restrictions on advertising, extra taxation, limited exposure in schools and hospitals and better labeling.<\/p>\n

\u201cPolicies that confront UPFs with the same seriousness that once applied to tobacco, while actively promoting real food, offer the most promising path out of the current crisis,\u201d the researchers wrote.<\/p>\n