Good News About Bad Stuff!
- ECSTASY:
- A highly publicized 2002 study found that ecstasy causes brain damage. But the study was flawed. The professor conducting the study mixed up his stashes and accidentally gave crystal to his lab animals instead of E. Strike out that flawed research, and there's little scientific proof that ecstasy causes anything other than possible memory loss.
- MARIJUANA:
- Prior research has shown that pot can help firght the effects of Alzheimers' and HIV. And now University of California researchers also found that marijuana causes little or no long-term damage to the central nervous system.
- CIGARETTES:
- Yes, they cause lung cancer, but a University of Houston sstudy found that the nicotine in cigarettes may counteract the effects of stress on the brain, improves memory, and possibly even help fight certain debilitating diseases, like Parkinson's.
- Mens Fitness Magazine
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The Case against Caffeine.
The Charge: Caffeine is a widely used and abused drug and should be avoided.
The Case for the prosecution:
- Caffeine is addictive. THe more you use, the more you need. Miss a dose and you can go into withdrawal, experiencing headaches and increased irritability.
- Drinking caffeinated beverages ups your stress level, amplifying the effects of stress and making it more damaging to your body, according to a new Duke University study.
- Caffeine levels in food are often underreported. Soda, chocolate, and ice cream often contain much higher caffeine levels than their packaging may claim.
- Caffeine causes dehydration. The stuff acts as a diuretic, increasing urine production and pulling water from your body.
- Drinking lots of soda and coffee can also leave you withweak bones, since caffeine can cause levels of calcium in the body to plummet.
- Several studies suggest caffeine may lower insulin sensitivity, causing a possible increase in your risk for diabetes, as well as making it easier for you to put on unwanted weight.
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The Case for the defense:
- Caffeine blocks the chemical pathways in the brain that induce sleepiness--making it easier for you to pull an all-nighter.
- Caffeine improves stamina and physical performance. According to University of Georgia researchers, caffeine acts as a form of anesthesia, numbing the body and blocking muscle pain and soreness.
- Caffeine may fight skin cancer. The catch? The caffeine has to be rubbed on your skin, so just drinking Coke won't reduce your cancer risk.
- Brazilian researchers found that caffeine makes sperm cells swim more efficiently, helping to improve fertility levels and potency.
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