Eating excessive amounts of sugar at an early age may make you less likely to enjoy sweet foods later in life, according to a new study published in the European Journal of Neuroscience.

For the study, researchers examined rats who ate too much sugar during their adolescence, and focused on the brain region known as the nucleus accumbens, which monitors the reward circuits. When rats experienced overconsumption of sugar at a young age, there was a decrease in brain activity in the nucleus accumbens by the time they reached adulthood. In short, they stopped enjoying the food once they were older.

The results are supplemented by past research, which has found that eating high amounts of sugar results in the brain developing a tolerance of sorts, making us want to eat more and more to feel the effects — quite similar to drugs. Still, researchers aren’t entirely certain of the long-term impact of sugar, aside from the obvious of an increased risk of diabetes and obesity.

“In spite of the dramatic increase in the consumption of sweet palatable foods during adolescence in our modern societies, the long-term consequences of such exposure on brain reward processing remain poorly understood,” said Dr. Martine Cador, senior author of the study, in the press release.

The researchers believe that this impairment might be cause for concern, due to the fact that it could contribute to substance abuse or eating disorders.

Indeed, sugar from sources like soda can have a significant impact on the brain beyond just the reward system. Overconsumption of sugar has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and altered brain structure. Another recent study found that sugary drinks could harm memory in children, and create inflammation in the hippocampus. Sugar has also been linked to exacerbating the symptoms of depression and anxiety in teens.

“Chronic stimulation of the reward system might constitute an important factor in vulnerability to pathological development,” the authors wrote in the abstract. “In spite of the dramatic increase in the consumption of sweet palatable foods during adolescence in our modern societies, the long-term consequences of such exposure on brain reward processing remain poorly understood.”

Source: Naneix F, Darlot F, Coutureau E, Cador M. Long-lasting deficits in hedonic and nucleus accumbens reactivity to sweet rewards by sugar overconsumption during adolescence. European Journal of Neuroscience. 2016.