Substance Addiction Research Paper

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Pages: 3

Substance addiction is one’s nervous system’s inherent dependency on a particular drug or substance, to the point in which an organism may display withdrawal symptoms if it is consumed. Substance addiction is a subject in which scientific research is focused on due to its relevance in today’s society. It is especially significant to consider the physiological effects, which include but are not limited to damage to the nervous system, and mental health issues such as frequent hallucinations. Performing research on substance abuse enhances our understanding of its effects and opens a window of opportunity for scientist to explore ways in which they may be able to prevent its repercussions. As a result, it is important to consider researching …show more content…
It is also found naturally on most plants that grow on Earth, thus it is easily obtainable. Industries utilize it in sugarcanes or more commonly in maple syrup, a condiment high in sucrose. Its effect neurologically may be varied, depending on the intake. However, its general effect is the following; it releases serotonin, a neurotransmitter that relaxes the nervous system. When it enters the brain, it sends signals through the gustatory pathway, and activating the reward system to make it more addictive. Additionally, sucrose consumption may create a dependency on the substance, like highly addictive drugs such as cocaine, there is release of dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that makes a person happy, as such dependency on sucrose to find this extreme level of joy becomes more …show more content…
For instance, there is the release of dopamine and serotonin, which results in the craving of more sucrose to help increase enjoyment. As such, the long term effects of continuous consumption of sucrose is hyperglycemia, high blood sugar, that leads to diabetes and lack of insulin production. Type Two Diabetes is life threatening and if not treated properly, may cause heart disease, or death. Thus consumption of sucrose causes primarily weight gain, which in itself may lead to the other long term effects. In the short term, sucrose usage may cause sugar crash, which refers to sudden spike and fall of one’s blood sugar, causing them to have mood swings. At first, people report feeling extremely energetic, before subsequently losing energy and reporting feeling extreme