If you tried to cut sugar out of your diet and failed spectacularly then it turns out it might not be all your fault.
Australian scientists from the Queensland University of Technology say that according to their studies, eating too much sugar raises your brain's dopamine levels in the same way that cocaine does.
Over time, the effectiveness of sugar on dopamine levels will decrease meaning that people need to consume more and more sugar to reap the same feel-good benefits.
One of the neuroscientists behind the study; Professor Selena Barlett says that because of this, sugar addiction might be able to be treated with drugs used to treat nicotine addiction.
'Excess sugar consumption has been proven to contribute directly to weight gain.' She said. 'It has also been shown to repeatedly elevate dopamine levels which control the brain's reward and plasure centres in a way that is similar to many drugs of abuse including tobacco, cocain and morphine.'
She went on to say, 'We have also found that as well as an increased risk of weight gain, animals that maintain high sugar consumption and binge eating into adulthood may also face neurological and psychiatric conseqeuences affecting mood and motivation.'
She added that withdrawal from sugar could be a difficult as going 'cold turkey.'
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.