Sugar can act on the brain like an addictive drug, according to new research.

Bart Hoebel of the Princeton Neuroscience Institute has found that rats increase intake when allowed and go through withdrawal when they can't get any, according to a news release. But the latest work indicates that they also crave sugar, a third indicator of addiction.

"If bingeing on sugar is really a form of addiction, there should be long-lasting effects in the brains of sugar addicts," Hoebel said. "Craving and relapse are critical components of addiction, and we have been able to demonstrate these behaviors in sugar-bingeing rats in a number of ways."

Animals that were taught to binge on sugar then worked harder to get it when it was reintroduced. They consumed more than before, which Hoebel said shows craving and relapse.

Also, the rats drank more alcohol than normal after their sugar supply was cut off, showing that the bingeing behavior had forged changes in brain function. They were also more sensitive to amphetamine.

Hoebel will present the research to American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and submit it to the Journal of Nutrition, which means it has not yet been reviewed by his peers.