In the euphoric haze of new romance, it may be easy to believe that two strangers can fall in love the first time they meet. But is love at first sight real?

There is a lot going on physiologically that can make the early stages of romance feel like love — from causing an influx of hormones to activating areas of the brain that correspond with addictive behaviors. However, some researchers argue that love at first sight is just lust and that actual love comes later, once the partner bond has been established.

Love or lust?

So, what is love? Aside from a chart-topping song by Haddaway, there can be several different definitions of love. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, love is a “strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties,” while a team of scientists from Rutgers University, New Jersey, suggested that love can be broken down into three categories: lust, attraction and attachment.

Attraction, lust and attachment are connected and reinforce each other, according to a 2016 review in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. However, they are distinct processes in the brain, "each mediated by its own neurotransmitters and circuits," the researchers wrote in the review. While the hormones testosterone and estrogen, piloted by the amygdala — the area of the brain that regulates emotions — are responsible for lust, attraction is determined by the stress and reward centers — the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental. The neurotransmitters dopamine, noradrenaline and cortisol are all engaged when a person feels attracted to someone. When it comes to attachment, oxytocin and vasopressin are more dominant.

So an initial attraction towards someone probably isn't love, said Dr. Deborah Lee, a reproductive health specialist and medical writer for Dr Fox Online Pharmacy in England. "Psychologists dispute that it is possible to experience true love when you first set eyes on another person," she told Live Science. "This is because love develops over time as you begin to love the other person's mind, values and skills. True love is not just about sexual attraction and passion."

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When it comes to love at first sight, the feeling is more likely to be one of lust, said Eric Ryden, a doctor of clinical psychology and couples therapist at Couples Therapy clinic in England. "[And] those lovely intoxicating feelings do not last," he told Live Science. "Also, if one is seeking a long-term partner, love at first sight is not a sign that you have found the right one. [It] is more related to physical attraction and lust than long-lasting romantic love."