In Greene’s opinion, evidence is mounting that too much added sugar could lead to true addiction.

“In medicine we use ‘addiction’ to describe a tragic situation where someone’s brain chemistry has been altered to compel them to repeat a substance or activity despite harmful consequences. This is very different than the casual use of ‘addiction’ (‘I’m addicted to “Game of Thrones!”’).”

“Addiction is a strong word,” says Dr. Alan Greene , a children’s health and wellness expert and the author of books like “Raising Baby Green” and “Feeding Baby Green.”

There’s an increasing body of research that tells us excess sugar could be as addictive as some street drugs and have similar effects on the brain.

We add sugar to our coffee, bake it into our favorite treats, and spoon it over our breakfast. We love the sweet stuff. We crave it. But are we addicted to it?

We reward children with it over the holidays or for a job well done in school. And we reward ourselves with it after a particularly stressful day or to celebrate a birthday or a special success.

Eating sugar releases opioids and dopamine in our bodies. This is the link between added sugar and addictive behavior.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is a key part of the “reward circuit” associated with addictive behavior. When a certain behavior causes an excess release of dopamine, you feel a pleasurable “high” that you are inclined to re-experience, and so repeat the behavior.

As you repeat that behavior more and more, your brain adjusts to release less dopamine. The only way to feel the same “high” as before is to repeat the behavior in increasing amounts and frequency. This is known as substance misuse.

Cassie Bjork, RD, LD, founder of Healthy Simple Life, states that sugar can be even more addicting than cocaine.

“Sugar activates the opiate receptors in our brain and affects the reward center, which leads to compulsive behavior, despite the negative consequences like weight gain, headaches, hormone imbalances, and more.”

Bjork adds, “Every time we eat sweets, we are reinforcing those neuropathways, causing the brain to become increasingly hardwired to crave sugar, building up a tolerance like any other drug.”

Indeed, research on rats from Connecticut College has shown that Oreo cookies activate more neurons in the pleasure center of the rats’ brains than cocaine does (and just like humans, the rats would eat the filling first).

And a 2008 Princeton study found that rats may become dependent on sugar, and that this dependency could be related to several aspects of addiction: cravings, binging, and withdrawal.

Researchers in France agree that the casual link between sugar and illegal drugs doesn’t just make for dramatic headlines. Not only is there truth to it, but also they determined the rewards experienced by the brain after consuming sugar are even “more rewarding and attractive” than the effects of cocaine.

“Stories in the press about Oreos being more addictive than cocaine may have been overstated,” admits Greene, “but we should not take lightly the power of added sugar to lure us again and again, and to rob us of our health.”

He adds, “Medical addiction changes brain chemistry to cause binging, craving, withdrawal symptoms, and sensitization.”

Sugar is also much more prevalent, available, and socially acceptable than amphetamines or alcohol, and so harder to avoid.

But whether sugar is more addictive than cocaine, researchers and nutritionists suggest that sugar has addictive properties , and we need to be getting less of it.

“The drug analogy is always a tough one because, unlike drugs, food is necessary for survival,” says Andy Bellatti, MS, RD, strategic director of Dietitians for Professional Integrity.

“That said, there is research demonstrating that sugar can stimulate the brain’s reward processing center in a manner that mimics what we see with some recreational drugs.”

Bellatti adds, “In certain individuals with certain predispositions, this could manifest as an addiction to sugary foods.”