[ off topic/addictions/nectar of Gods ]
I always get a kick out of stories like this (below). Certain individuals respond to a given anti-depressant, others have to look for alternatives. We differ, one from another, physiologically. Why do we lump caffeine and nicotine into one big "bad" barrel? Why are they "bad"?
Caffeine..... so, what's wrong with being jumpy and hyper? Makes life thrilling, if problematic on occasion. And what's wrong with being addicted? I'm addicted to caffeine; I enjoy both the physiological effects and the taste of the vehicle. So? Do I need to be chastised or ridiculed? Do I need to attend a 12-step program? No, I need more caffeine, damn it...... screw all of you!!
(yes, those side effects can have a slight effect on social skills, but, who give a damn, you creeps!)
Seriously..... humans self-medicate on more, IMO, than rare instances..........
01:28 AM ET 03/23/99
Study: Caffeine May Be Good for You
Study: Caffeine May Be Good for You
By DEBORAH HASTINGS=
Associated Press Writer=
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Caffeine is not addictive for most people, a
new study concludes, and has little effect on human health. No,
really.
According to a much-promoted French study released Monday during
the American Chemical Society's annual meeting, drinking up to
three cups of coffee a day has no effect on the part of the brain
responsible for addiction. And it may actually be good for you.
If you're a rat.
After spending two years with 30 rodents, researcher Astrid
Nehlig of the French National Health Medical Research Institute
found that moderate consumption increases energy and renders
addiction ''quite unlikely.''
The study was funded by the French coffee industry and her
employer.
Bank loan officer Laura Comstock doesn't hesitate when asked if
she agrees with Nehlig's conclusions.
''No,'' she replies flatly.
Comstock must have at least two caffeinated drinks _ usually tea
or Diet Coke _ to get through the day, plus a midmorning cup of
joe.
''I get headaches if I don't drink coffee,'' she said, seated at
a coffee house during lunch, a cup of decaf in hand. ''There's got
to be something to that.''
According to Nehlig, seven or eight cups of java would have to
be consumed in quick succession to create the same addictive brain
activity as a low dose of, say, morphine.
''Addiction to caffeine is not the same as addiction to
methamphetamines or cocaine or morphine,'' Nehlig said.
''I'm not denying that there can be a dependence on caffeine,
I'm just saying that there is no adverse physical effects to using
caffeine in moderate levels,'' the researcher said.
Caffeine studies are all over the map when it comes to health
effects. Some say the drug increases productivity. The Center for
Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based watchdog group,
said it may degenerate bone mass and endanger fetuses.
Roland Griffiths, a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at
Johns Hopkins University, has done extensive research on caffeine.
He's skeptical of Nehlig's conclusions.
''When you start extrapolating from rats to humans, all kinds of
things change,'' he said. And ''there is pretty substantial
literature in animals and humans showing chronic administration of
caffeine produces acute dependency syndrome.''
Georgina Rocha, who operates an outdoor coffee stand in Los
Angeles, sees some of that every day. Does she believe caffeine is
healthy for her customers?
''When I drink it, I get all jumpy and hyper, so it can't be
good for them, either,'' she said. |
