My answer to negative press concerning smoking

[Sayonara]

Yes, they are a bit pricey.

 

Anything's better than the brimstone tablets though.

[Glider]

YT2095 said in post #22 :

Actualy I was only kidding about the pizza and vindaloo, but there is actual scientific evidence to support what you said:

 

"Good point, chicken vindaloo is highly addictive and the potency of its spice "

 

apparently (I`m sure Glider will put me right if I`m a bit off here), the hotness of the Chilis causes pain receptors to fire and the brain then releases endorphines.

these are the bodys natural pain killers and just as strong as Morphine or other Opiates, and equaly as addictive, I think it was 1`st discovered with these body builders that confessed to actualy getting "High" from a workout, it was the brain chems that did it

That's more or less it. The active ingredient is capsaicin (C18H27NO3). It specifically triggers C fibres (thin, non-myelinated primary afferents with polymodal, wide dynamic range receptors). Among other things, these fibres signal noxious heat (>45 degrees C), which is why chilli feels hot. Unfortunately, a part of the way capsaicin works is to allow an influx of calcium ions into the neuron, which eventually causes the neuron to die. This is how people 'get used' to hot food and after time can munch jalapenos with no pain. They ain't tough, they just burned out the receptors that used to detect it.

 

I`de like to know why endorphines only work when you least expect them to though? it hardly seems fair that if you stub and break your big toe on the edge of the bed or something, it hurts like a real MOFO for weeks!

where`s the justice in that!?

That's because it ain't just the pain that causes endorphin release. It's more the situations in which pain occurs. Endorphins are concerned with the central control of pain, accociated with activity in decending fibres from the periaqueductal grey (PAG) to the raphe nuceli (the locus coeruleus in particular), and in the raphespinal tract. The PAG has many reciprocal connections with limbic areas, and it's mainly the activity in those areas which cause significant endorphine release. So, without going into too much detail to make the point, if you're wandering around your bedroom, and you stub your toe, it's gonna hurt! If you're wandering up the Shankhill road with a gun in your hand, and you get hit by a brick, it'll hurt a lot less. In each case, the limbic system is preattentively processing the situation, and the potential for harm in the environment, and making preparatory autonomic changes as appropriate. In high-risk situations, these changes include elevated adrenaline (epinephrine) levels, heart rate & BP the release of glucose, clotting factors and endorphines.

 

Endorphines are also released under physical stress (e.g. exercise), but it has to be sufficiently intense. The threshold for endorphine release is around 75% V O2 max. (exercise sufficient to require that you burn 75% of the oxygen you breathe in).

[Sinsay]

One group of people tell otheir groups how to behave I feel like many of you will not be happy till we are like ants Rich folks like this because then we are their slaves Do heart problems caused by over wt people not tax the heath care ? Look out next time it could be something u like up for ex-taxes

Is it good to play videos games all day ? how much does that cost the tax payers ? the same could be said for TV or the net Anything we injoy

& believe me when it your turn Ill give yr fun the same care & thought U GAVE MINE

[Severian]

I have never been physically addicted to anything (and to the smart ass contemplating a witty response, no, water doesn't count). It just seems like addictions don't "stick" with me.

 

I think it may be linked to being a lazy bugger. Going down the shops to buy a pack of fags just doesn't seem worth the effort.