Final answer:
It is true that eating sugar activates the brain's reward system, contributing to an increased desire to eat more sugar.
Step-by-step explanation:
When you eat sugar, your brain activates a "Reward System" which can indeed make you want to eat more sugar. This is true. The pleasure and reward centers of the brain, which include the hypothalamus and other areas linked with the neurotransmitter dopamine, are stimulated when we consume sweet foods.
This reward system is designed to reinforce behaviors that are essential for our survival, such as eating. Sadly, sugary foods can hijack this system, leading to an increased desire for more sweet tasting substances. The consumption of sugar leads to a release of dopamine, providing a sense of pleasure, which can then create a feedback loop seeking more sugar to maintain the pleasurable feeling.
Feeling hungry is influenced by various signals in the body. Your empty stomach and digestive system send messages to your brain, which also monitors blood sugar levels and other physiological cues to determine when you need to eat. Furthermore, external factors like the sight, smell, or even the thought of food can stimulate the appetite. The neurotransmitter serotonin has an inhibitory effect on eating, which means that it generally works to suppress hunger and regulate food intake.
Leptin and ghrelin are two hormones that also play significant roles in hunger and satiety. Ghrelin levels typically rise before a meal, stimulating hunger, whereas leptin does the opposite, signaling satiety to the brain, thus inside the body, they have inverse levels when you're feeling hungry.