Why sweets are the real drug
And sucrose or sweeteners cause dopamine system disorders. Sweets stimulate a strong release of dopamine. Prolonged stimulation leads to a sugar addiction and results in an even stronger addiction to sugar.
Sweeteners and sugar activate the brain's reward system. Similarly, sugar substitutes activate the orbitofrontal cortex, the amygdala, and the dopamine system.
Green and Murphy of San Diego State University found that prolonged consumption of diet drinks leads to disruption of several dopamine systems. For instance, the more and more regularly a person consumes Diet Coke, the weaker the activity of the caudate nucleus. Eventually this leads to
the formation of an "addicted" or addictive brain and leads to burnout and loss of enjoyment of life.
