Sugar can be as addictive as cocaine or heroin. Though it cannot be termed illegal and no one can face charges for its possession but it can be harmful.
Researchers at Princeton University have carried tests on rats which show startling results. It was found that rats that ingested large amounts of sugar showed changes in their brain. These changes are similar to the ones that in addicts of cocaine or heroin.
    
"Our evidence from an animal model suggests that bingeing on sugar can act in the brain in ways very similar to drugs of abuse," says lead researcher and Princeton psychology professor Bart Hoebel.

The addiction is such that inspite of knowing the effects, people cannot resist sugary items. In fact they crave for more and more. These urges are no less than addiction. By taking sugary items these people feel satisfied like an addict getting satisfaction after taking heroin or cocaine.

Depriving these people of sugar also shows withdrawal symptoms. This was clearly exhibited by the rats which showed signs of anxiety, behavioral depression and a drop in dopamine levels. In other words, they confirmed a neurochemical link with the rats' behavior.

Image Source: eatingwell.com