Why is sugar so addictive?

We all know how tempting it can be to have that extra slice of cake, but what makes sugar so addictive? Well there are a number of reasons to explain this age old addiction to sugar.

Scientist believe that we are driven to sugar as it plays a vital role in our survival, along with salt, fat and sugar. This is because when we eat food the simple sugars are absorbed from the intestines into our bloodstream, so it can be distributed to all cells in the body. Glucose is also very important to the brain as it provides the only source of fuel to the one hundred billion nerve cells in your body.

These neurons (nerve cells) need a constant supply of fuel from the bloodstream as they can't store the glucose. Diabetics with low blood sugar can collapse into a coma.

Bizarrely scientists have even discovered that just the taste of sugar can give our brains  our boost. They discovered that participants who swirled water sweetened by adding sugar perform better on mental tasks than those who don't!