In an article recently published by CNN, Dr. Gary Wenk, a professor of Behavioral Neuroscience in the Department and author of Your Brain on Food, was interviewed to explain why soda is often hard to eliminate from one's diet and the chemical properties that make it so addictive. 

According to Wenk, "your favorite brand of soft drink is engineered with just the right amount of sweetener, caffeine and carbonation to make you continuously want to grab and gulp."

The copious amounts of sugar found in a soda can attribute to activating our reward centers in our brains, similar to what happens with drugs, and triggers the release of dopamine. Caffeine, which is a stimulant, can be craved by our brains and make us dependent on our daily intake of them. "Caffeine not only speeds up our thinking but also has its own unique ability to activate reward pathways that involve dopamine," Wenk says.

Finally, the carbonation of soft drinks provides an acidic element, which according to Wenk, combines with sugar to create a more intense, euphoric feeling that comes with drinking soda. Studies show that carbonation often precedes sugar in addictive properties. 

Wenk implores those who do drink soda to consider the health factors, such as an increased risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, and replace their intake with water or unsweetened drinks. Wenk also notes that individuals who crave soda to help them "wake up" should examine their sleeping habits first, as research suggests individuals who drink sugary, caffeinated beverages are often linked with sleeping less than 5 hours a day. 

To read the article in its entirety, click here.