My last day of calm and mental recreation……

I admit it…I smoke…I know…I know…it is a disgusting habit and will probably kill me…..but a butt after sex is almost as good as the act itself and a butt with morning coffee is semi-orgasmic….but it is a horrible habit and one that is as difficult to break as a caffeine monkey on your back……

So when ever I am surfing and I find something positive about my disgusting addiction, I just have to stop and read and what I recently found is good news….well as good as any disgusting habit can be……I found this in the Atlantic Wire and written by Rebecca Greenfield…….

Smoking kills, but maybe it heals, too. Nicotine, that addictive drug in cigarettes, protects from Parkinson’s disease, found a study in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Okay, so smoking, per-se doesn’t provide any health benefits, but if you feel guilty about your smoking habit (or even if you don’t), you can tell yourself you’re not ruining every part of your body as you inhale–your brain appreciates it!

Using mice as test subjects, researchers found that nicotine had the potential to rescue dopamine neurons in cultures. Slowly losing these neurons is a hallmark of Parkinson’s, so scientists believe this shows that nicotine can be used to treat Parkinsons by targeting the brain’s nicotine receptors. Smokers: at least you have that going for you.

But you also have something else to cheer about–this isn’t the first positive link found between nicotine and health. Earlier research from the Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research has shown that nicotine enhances learning and memory. Stimulating the brain’s nicotine receptors could also help treat Alzheimers, a study from the University of Maryland discovered. The drug can also reduce depression, found a study in the Journal of Pharmacology. Nicotine stimulates the release of serotonin and dopamine, which are strongly inversely associated with depression. The study also found that smokers may be more prone to depression than non-smokers. “People with depression may be self-medicating by smoking, albeit in a deadly way,” researcher Dr. Joseph McClernon added.

Nicotine could have some positive effect not just on the brain but on the heart. The drug boosts growth of blood vessels, which could lead to developments in diabetes treatment, a Stanford study found.

Okay, I have been trying to feel good about my addiction…….and I think this will about do IT!