Sugar is a surprisingly powerful substance. One piece of candy usually leads to another, then another, and another, until the entire bag is gone. The remaining feeling is usually one of longing, wishing for another sugary snack to fill the void. 

Words like bingeing, withdrawal, craving, and addiction are words typically used in referring to an addiction of some sort. Bingeing is defined by the Oxford Languages dictionary as “indulging in an activity, especially eating, drinking, or taking drugs, to excess” while withdrawal is “the action of withdrawing something”. Craving is defined as “a powerful desire for something” while addiction is defined as “the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity”. Interestingly enough, these words are also applicable to the common substance known as sugar. 

Neural pathways flow through the brain delivering chemical messages from one part of the brain to another. Some pieces of the brain are linked to aggression, others to thought, and mental processing, and still others are linked to reward pathways. However, these natural reward pathways can also “light up” so to say with the use of drugs or other substances. That's what makes them so addicting. They trick the brain into being happy and experiencing that feeling of euphoria but then, when they wear off, the brain still craves that joyful feeling. So instead of getting that feeling naturally, many people use harmful substances to provide the quick and easy solution they desire. 

Researchers have found that sugar has a similar effect on the brain. Sugar creates a burst of energy and a short-term high that goes away fairly quickly without more intake. The chemicals in sugar flow down the reward pathways creating the temporary effects people feel but also the desire for more once that wears off. That's why, once eaten, the body and brain crave more of that sugary flavor. After constantly eating too much sugar it's possible to feel the effects of sugar withdrawal. According to an article by healthline things like intense cravings for sugary foods, fatigue, headaches, irritability, disrupted sleep patterns, and even difficulty concentrating could all occur.