Dr. Neil Grunberg of the Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology from the Uniform Services of the Health Sciences is one of the leading minds in the study of nicotine. He's spent almost thirty years studying the effects of nicotine on the body and whether or not it can have a positive effect. In this episode, Dr. Grunberg shares his findings regarding peoples' perceptions of nicotine, whether as a part of a smoked or chewed product, or on its own. His report is fascinating and incredibly surprising.

This Week In Neuroscience: Good Cholesterol Linked To Better Memory

The cholesterol debate has raged on year in and year out. However, a study conducted by Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (yes, that's a real magazine) suggests that higher levels of good cholesterol might assist in improving memory. What can you do to increase healthy cholesterol levels? Avoid tobacco and trans fats, exercise, moderate alcohol consumption, and eat healthier. Makes sense.

Read the original article here.

What You'll Learn:

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• A candid discussion as to whether addiction is innately "bad".
  
• How nicotine actually only causes very little physical damage to the body.
  
• The highly unique qualities of nicotine that make it so special.
  
• The constantly changing position of physicians regarding nicotine.
  
• Dr. Grunberg's thoughts on whether he'd want his kids to use nicotine as a cognitive enhancer.
  

Key terms mentioned in the podcast

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• NaturalStacks.com (Use Coupon Code SDSMARTS to save 10%)
  
• Gwern on Nicotine
  
• The effect of Curcumin (turmeric) on Alzheimers