Do Healthy Brains Deserve a Pill Boost?

I just read an article that caught my eye. It said that some scientists have said that healthy brains deserve a pill boost. I thought we take enough drugs as it is but guess they have a good reason. They said healthy people should have the right to boost their brains with pills, such as those prescribed for hyperactive kids or memory-impaired older folks. This is a rather provocative commentary to say the least.

Did you know that college students are already illegally taking prescription stimulants like Ritalin to help them study and the demand for such drugs is likely to grow elsewhere? This is what this group wrote in an opinion piece published online by the journal Nature. They said we should welcome new methods of improving our brain function and doing it with pills is no more morally objectionable than eating right or getting a good night's sleep. The commentary also called for more research and a variety of steps for managing the risks. In addition, as more effective brain boosting pills are developed, demand for them is likely to grow among middle aged people who want youthful memory ability. I still think we are over medicated as it is.