Nicotine is a reliable cognitive enhancer, with preclinical models and human studies showing its cognitive-enhancing effects on attention, working memory, fine motor skills, and episodic memory. It can activate proteins like PDE-5, TRβ, and CaMKII, leading to increased neuronal communication and improved brain function. A new study by researchers at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine reveals that isolated nicotine can enhance brain function and may be helpful in treating various brain-related disorders.
In healthy individuals, nicotine improves memory impairment caused by sleep deprivation by enhancing the phosphorylation of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. Long-term exposure to nicotine alters brain circuits and induces profound changes in decision-making strategies, affecting behaviors related and unrelated to work. However, tobacco use has been shown to have negative impacts on worker productivity and higher costs from employers and workers.
Nicotine has significant positive effects on fine motor, short-term episodic memory, and working memory performance. It also helps pay attention to work or studies, resulting in improved performance at work or school. Studies show that those who have quit smoking have substantially greater work productivity in examined geographies.
Nicotine can improve reaction time, working memory, focus, and attention. It is not intoxicating like some other drugs, making it popular for its ability to help concentrate at work. Over time, the popularity of nicotine has grown, with some non-smokers even using nicotine gum or patches as a nootropic.
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I’m a veteran, was actually addicted to alcohol and cigarettes. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Alcohol addiction actually destroyed my life. Got diagnosed with cptsd. Not until my wife recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 6 years totally clean, much respect to mother nature the great magic shrooms.
Maybe things work differently for different people. For me personally I use zyn pouches and I just feel really dialed in and complete a lot more work. It also helps me relax and be more stoic as I am normally very aggressive all the time. Im not sure exactly how safe or unsafe they are but I haven’t had bad experiences with it yet. I guess I’ve always been good at quitting addictions but this just seems to be something I don’t really want to quit like caffeine.
I was really hooked on Zyns for about 2 months. Nicotine for me personally is great for about 5 minutes then my dopamine drops significantly and it leaves me feeling extremely emotionally unstable. I also started feeling extremely nervous overall and started having irregular heart beats. For me personally the best way to increase dopamine with zero side effects are cold plunges
Hey Doc, love your articles! I’ve always struggled with depression and addiction. Fortunately I was able to put down the booze and hard drugs almost 9 years ago by adding yoga and meditation to my recovery. I actually wound up going back and teaching for the same nonprofit that introduced me to yoga while I was incarcerated. Would you say the mesolimbic reward pathway is responsible for most or all addictions?
I started using the nicotine lozenges about 10 years ago to help with dieting. My use gradually increased from 1 tab few times per week to pretty much full day use. Past few years I’ve noticed reduce enjoyment for the little things. Decreases buzz from things I used to enjoy. I stopped for a week, first few days were a bit rough, not too bad. Then felt more like my old self. Like a lot of artificially dopamine increasing drugs and activities, they seem to be serving you, until they don’t. It’s hard not too escalate usage. Almost subconscious.
Cigarette smoke also contains MAOIs (powerful antidepressents) that enhance the dependence-forming characteristics of nicotine. Smokers are also “addicted” to the hand-mouth ritual; oral, olfactory and visual stimuli; and throat hit (not pharmacological). Interesting that you note nicotine’s potential impact on weight control and reducing depression/anxiety, while increasing focus and attention. So the question is: Is nicotine itself “bad,” or should we focus on how truly bad cigarettes are?
I’ve read that tobacco inherently has MAOI’s that give the relaxing feeling. It acts as an anti-depressant. That’s why when you smoke a cigarette, you get a rush and a feeling of relaxation. Anyone who has tried a nicotine only product will tell you there isn’t that same relaxing feeling as smoking a cigarette. I think it was Peter Killeen who talked about a lab test on mice that showed it was the combination of nicotine and MAOI that was so addictive. It also makes sense that Bupropion, used as an anti-depressant, helps with easing people off of smoking, since it replaces the anti-depressant properties of the MAOI’s in tobacco smoke.
This makes a lot of sense. Whenever life was really difficult, I would turn to smoking. I used to say, if you see me with a cigarette I’m likely not doing well. The plan was usually just until the cycles of life rebounded which it almost always does. Once the train was back on the tracks, I’d stop smoking. I think I unknowingly used smoking as a self induced prescription for mild form of depression.
For me I’v had very very bad Adhd all my life and im 25 now. I quit for 5 months and My adhd came back extremely bad. I felt extremely depressed/ worried all the time. I started vaping again recently and iv felt my symptoms/worries Calm down and im able to think things through. I’m not sure what to do other than try taking medications if I wanna quit vaping.
It’s not the nicotine in cigarettes that’s addictive or bad for you. Cigarettes have over 500 chemicals added to the tobacco, besides the tobacco crops being GMO’d and sprayed with pesticides. It’s the smoke that’s harmful. Nicotine is not addictive nor a drug. It is found in many foods, including eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes and other nightshade vegetables. Do your own research. See what Dr. Bryan Ardis has to say about it.
I specifically picked up chewing tobacco when I was a driver in the army overseas in combat. Helped me stay focused for hours on end. I left the US with 3 cavities my whole life. I came back with more cavities than I had teeth lol. Quitting wasn’t hard. The first time. The second time I picked up back up, was much harder to quit. I loved the routine and oral fixation. Quit again cold Turkey and have never gone back. I don’t like feeling chained to something. Needing a crutch that was destroying my gums. That being said I’ve seen a lot about Zyn. Makes me curious, but again, I’ve already beat the addiction so not feeling like picking one back up. Good luck bros, it’s a tough life, some folks need this extra bit of juice to make it through. I respect it. It’s just not for me anymore. I microdose mushrooms for my mental health issues. Seems to do the trick.
“Harvard conducted an animal study in 2015 to determine addictiveness of nicotine. To their surprise they couldn’t get any animals to be addicted to nicotine in water. So researchers requested documents of the tobacco companies, and in the documents they learned that tobacco product manufacturers figured out in the 70’s that nobody would repurchase ‘light cigarettes’, so they had to figure out how to make the tobacco products addictive. Harvard learned in 2015 what the tobacco giants did to make tobacco products and NICOTINE addictive. They added a chemical named Pyrazine that is highly addictive, and they have been doing it ever since. Nicotine is not the addictive substance in tobacco, pyrazine chemical makes tobacco addictive. Pyrazines are just one of 600 approved chemicals that the FDA allow manufacturers to add to their products in the USA.” Bryan Ardis.
I read a Harvard study from 2015 that concluded they could not see any addiction at all after giving it to lab mammals. Another report I read obtained through freedom of information act info from tobacco product manufacturers and that they knew this and had to add a chemical called pyrazine in order to make nicotine addictive. Apparently nicotine is found in many vegetables such as egg plant, tomatoes especially green, cauliflower, celery plus many others.
frikkin loveeeeee snuff dip. Started in college lol. But the risks… I had to quit. I dunno maybe I’ll try it again though or relapse again. Took me a long long time yes. On off on off on off. Finally quit. Though, I still consider myself addicted for life, and in order to try and quit started a habit of telling myself, ‘today, for one day, I will choose to abstain from dip snuff’. But I would never deny how much I loved it no matter how nasty a habit it might be.
I’m not going to lie. I grew up around nicotine addicts and have been strictly against it. I am also surrounded by neurodivergent people- both family and friends. I myself started vaping a couple months ago (I’m almost 26) and have noticed an increase in general well-being, decrease in general anxiety, and an improvement in focus and better control over my ADHD. I also noticed a decrease in my adrenal issues in the morning and I also have no problem not vaping when I’m not busy at work or social. Have there been any direct studies on neurodivergence and Nicotine?
Interesting views on nicotine. I smoked cigarettes from age 18 to 34. Switched strictly to vaping for 6 years until this past New Year’s Eve (I’m 40 years old.) Now I’m hooked on Zyn pouches. They help me focus very sharply at work. I haven’t had any side effects from them yet. I feel so much better not inhaling anything in my lungs. So I’ll keep doing 6-7 Zyn pouches a day until I feel they are effecting me negatively. If anyone is reading this you CAN quit vaping and smoking. Mental power is the key.
Interestingly, some people are getting good results with using nicotine patches for long covid. The main theory (it’s not the only one, and is just a theory) is that the spike protein attaches itself to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which have a higher affinity for nicotine. Slow and steady nicotine administration kicks the spike protein off the receptors and allows the immune system to deal with it. Of course this may not be why nicotine works at all. But, as is typical in people with long covid, or me/cfs, this works for some, but not others. However, for those that it has worked for (for whatever reason) have made full recoveries after sometimes years of illness. It’s very interesting, and until you have been severe with this condition, I don’t think many can appreciate just how debilitating it is. It affects how you do EVERYTHING. Some are so severe that they can’t even tolerate light or sound, can’t move, and spend months or years in a dark bedroom with an eye mask and noise blocking head phones. Awful condition with no recognised treatments.
The weird thing is, if I have nicotine it completely wipes out my energy levels, desire to exercise, and causes pain to increase. I feel like I get maybe a slight sense of relief or euphoria but at the same time makes my anxiety that much easier to trigger. I’ve been avoiding most of the time because it hurts my performance rather than helps
Speaking as someone who was heavily addicted to nicotine for 10+ years… I can tell you the so called “benefits” of nicotine fall in comparison to the negative effects of nicotine. Quitting nicotine is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life. You literally feel like you’re losing your sanity in the process. It’s dangerous for clips to reinforce nicotine use in my opinion. Trust from someone that went the route of vapes. Supposedly “harmless”… yeah right. I went to consuming nicotine in much higher doses & my dependency increased simultaneously until I couldn’t go an hour without vaping. Trust someone who’s been on the path of addiction. Life is much better without nicotine in my life.
I’m 2 years clean from nicotine and I dont think it ever enhanced my focus although I had to cultivate focus again after I quit because I was flittering around for the next dopamine hit for a while. Dangerous title though. Nicotine is not an enhancement of anything. Nicotine/Drug/Psych Med free 2+ years
The cortical thickness of people that smoke is worse than non-smokers (very thin bones in smokers) and the smokers’ ability to heal from surgery (especially orthopedic grafting) is decreased as evidenced by the number of revision surgeries required vs a group of non-smokers or through radiographic examination of subjects. Is there a significant difference in bone health of sublingual nicotine users vs inhaled?
In my experience pure Nicotine (absent of tar and other chemicals) can be a wonderful stimulant for short spans. IMO it is less harmful than longterm caffeine consumption. But unfortunately the longterm effect it has on the adrenals (releasing adrenaline too often can be extremely corrosive to the body), along with cheap dopamine hits (leading to dopamine desensitization) it is simply not worth it. But for short periods of focus, stress releif etc it can be incredibly helpful. But as with most drugs or substances that quickly change body chemistry, moderation is always key. Fortunately for me and basically every other mind altering substance, I am blessed to not get addicted to anything. The moment I realize it is causing more harm than good it doesnt require a second thought to put it down. Not sure if it is hereditary as I come from a generations of addicts, but then perhaps seeing all the struggles from addiction growing up may have subconsciously rewired my brain to ensure I never go down that road. For anyone suffering addiction I recommend you always remember you are greater than your circumstances. If anyone in the world ever ended their addiction, that is sufficient evidence to prove you can do the same.
I don’t know what he is talking about. Smoking ( not pure nicotine) has had none of these positive effects on me. It’s only depressive. I could say it makes me kinda creative and talkative for a few minutes, but nothing productive. I know all this because i switched to low-nicotine vaping and realised how bad smoking had made me feel for a series of years.
So I have been smoking on and off probably for about 1516 years. Primarily on a daily basis for probably about the last 9 to 10 years I don’t whatever and I feel like 💩 when I smoke. I don’t feel any of this euphoria or any of this like sent sense of like consent or gratification feel the opposite today is the first day that I declared myself that I’m not gonna smoke anymore and I’m gonna keep my word to myself for no other reason that I’m just I’m just sick of it, that has to have power
I have been using Nicotine in a Vaping format for 5 years now, since I was 16 years old. I tried using Zyn pouches, which worked for about 1 month but then they lost their potency, and due to my high tolerance, Zyn Pouches were just too costly for me to justify using daily, because I had to use up to 3 pouches at one time. So I switched to a different brand, Rogue, which has 20 pouches, but those did some damage to my mouth. Eventually I ended becoming a Dual User, of Dipping Tobacco and Vaping, and I still am a Dual User, I think it is worth mentioning that if you are going to try to quit Nicotine, switching the delivery method DOES NOT work for most people and can end up causing a worsening of your dependence, just like it did in my case. If your goal is harm reduction, then fine, Zyn Pouches in my opinion are at least substantially less harmful than Vaping, and they are certainly far less harmful that Cigarette smoking. In my opinion however, Dipping Tobacco is not all that dangerous either so long as you take care of your mouth appropriately, doesn’t mean I am recommending it, most people cannot even stomach Dipping Tobacco but I believe its the lesser of evils when put up against a Smokeable form of Nicotine. Point is, if you are trying to quit, then follow the advice of a Health Professional where applicable, switching to something like Zyn will not cause cessation for the vast majority of people because you are still using Nicotine, you are just creating a new form of the Habit, so stop while you are ahead.
as a doc, what was always curious to me during my studies: whenever we had traineeship on psychiatric wards, it was striking how many patients were smokers (much more than in other patient groups), especially on the locked wards, where almost all patients smoked. don’t mess with your neurotransmitters, folks!
Been smoking for 12 years and it is by far the worst thing I have ever started. IMO, nicotine has way more negative effects than positive. The moment that I decided to quit smoking cold turkey was because of disposable vapes. Disposable vapes should be banned quite frankly. I was constantly vaping and I could not even keep track of how much I was vaping nor its cigarette equivalent. Things were worse as I usually carried two vapes at the same time because when one is being charged I was vaping the other one. First of all, I experienced severe discomfort in my eyes. I felt my eyes were too dry. Second, nothing in my life motivates me other than instant dopamine I get from vapes. Literally, nicotine was better than sex. I felt extremely demotivated to the point I wondered could it lead to depression. I would say nicotine is just simply devil. Go for it if you think you can control devil.
There are so many better Nootropics for Dopamine, focus & stimulation that AREN’T going to come with all the negative side effects of Nicotine or the addictive properties. If you’re depressed please do NOT use this for depression. Your net benefit for your symptoms might last about a week to a month before they’re gone and you’re in a permanent deficit mode trying to maintain baseline with constant nicotine ingestion and on a road to addiction that’s harder for people who aren’t battling depression to break because your baseline is a depressed state and now you’re looking at anywhere between 3 days and 6 months to get back to even that after quitting depending on your level of withdrawal and genetic disposition.
Can you intermittent fast and use Zyn pouches. Does the sugar in the pouch break your fast. I’ve quite vaping but have been using the pouches to help me which they are but I only use the pouches when I’m not fasting. Does anyone INTERMITTENT FAST and use the ZYN POUCHES??? I’ve been reading that they are fine to use while fasting others say NO but I also vaped my who time fasting so I don’t know. Help.
Find what works for you and just cycle it. Caffeine, modafinil, nicotine, etc. I keep doses very low to get minimal effective dose. Cyclone will allow it to clear your system, and avoid dependence physically and psychologically with most things. I do 3mg pouches and if I start feeling that I need more, I’ll cycle off a day or two. Same with caffeine and modafinil. Not all of.them at once.
These articles crack me up. I don’t know why, but I don’t respond anywhere close to what one would expect after listening to this. I’ve never, and still do not smoke. I have had long covid for over 2 years. I heard Nicotine patches, 7mg, can potentially curb some symptoms of LC. I started a week ago and all I noticed was a slight upset stomach. I would love to feel ANY of the effects mentioned in this article. 🙁
I smoked some in high school (you were allowed to smoke at school outside) and early college back in the 80s but after the flu my Fr. college year, I stopped. About 5 years ago, I am travelling with a colleague who was vaping so I asked to try it. The next few years, I vaped constantly. I stopped vaping several months ago. It gave me headaches and I am sure lung damage, though probably less than cigs. I switched to the nicotine pouches over the past few months. But the pouches have been screwing up my gums which I found out during my dental appointment last week. I had about 4 cans at my desk when I had the dental appointment. I have less than 1/2 can left and once done with that can, I plan to stop them too. Too old to be hurting myself at 55.
hi doc, a quick question: i really wanna start that three things you said: 30 minutes first thing in the morning facing the sun while walking, cold shower every day when i wake up and training, again first thing in the morning; is it possibile to do them all? any downside or specific order to follow? i wouldn’t take a cold shower before hitting the gym 😛 tya!
Is it okay to start using nicotine patches to establish positive conditioning as a reward post workout or finishing work? The addictive feedback shouldn’t link to smoking as it was never used to administer. I’ll go to my doctors and ask but they are always against anything with slight risk. They told me to not 3 day fast with salt and water even though my blood tests showed no change in any levels.
Love the science behind nicotine. What stated is 100% true. After anti smocking campaignes populations started to suffer from obessity and depression. Coincidence? . I enjoy smocking although i know that it is bad for the health and not necessarily fatal as goverments want to convince us to excuse higher taxes. I prefer to take my risks in order to stay awlay from therapists 😂😂😂. Enjoy your life and your mistakes.
I’m glad I found your show. I’ve been doing nicotine pouches for about a month and a half. I have noticed an incredible spike in my concentration with very little side effects. I was a smoker in my youth, but that only happened when I went to the club and started drinking otherwise I never had a smoking habit. I was introduced to zyn by a friend and I haven’t looked back. I have lost 13 pounds. I don’t have a desire for snacks during the day. I’m down to just one meal a day and 209 pounds. My original weight was 294 pounds but that was about seven years ago.. I found myself getting back into some bad habits and I guess I am using the nicotine pouches as a little bit of a crutch and it seems to help with my cravings. I work out with dumbbells in the morning and stretch and I don’t drink soda or sweets anymore, but I didn’t have a craving for chips which are basically garbage in a bag.. I have also went through stage three A cancer about six years ago I JUST HOPE MY SMALL SHORT TERM NICOTINE FIX DOESN’T CAUSE ANY PROBLEMS.
I was born to smoking parents back in 1979… of course i started as well. I was hooked on Nicotine for 30 odd years. It ruined my life completely and it was a total nightmare to break free from after such a long time. I got hooked when i was 14. I remember when i went to college and uni, back in those days they would have “smokers huts or corners”… Where us with “nicotine addiction” go every break to get our fix. Its loco thinking back at that time now. Whatever you do… Do not start Nicotine. It is such a hard addiction to break free from. And it will reap your health until it eventually cripples and ends you. No matter what you do. Cigarettes, Vape, Snus, Patches, Gums, etc… Nicotine is Nicotine and it is a drug. But it is your quality of life to play with it. Good luck.
As someone constantly fighting Nicotine addiction for over 30 years my advice to my children is Never in no form it a slave and a trap I’m constantly fighting that Monster with every product . Don’t start exploring this for focus as I hear so many young people tell me it’s Bulls**t marketing by so called educators
My mother has been a lifetime smoker up until 2 years ago,smoking free the last 2 years due to being bedbound/chairbound. She has had short term memory loss/dementia the last 3 years although this has not been officially diagnosed. Would nicotine patches/tablets sharpen her mentally and reduce her fatigue? The dementia makes her sleep more during the day the last 3 years. Are there any other non addictive ‘Nootropics’ that can help?
i use “rhape” or “Rape” powder that has clean Nicotine from the plant called Nicotina Rustica .. I learned that during an ayahuasca ceremony .. my fav is the one that mixed with mint .. it not only give a nice buzz, but clears the sinuses ..i think it works well for heavy nicotine users .. you only have to do 2-3 times a day
I’ve never been into smoking or had any type of nicotine addiction. I smoke a cigar maybe once a month. I just had a zyn last week after hearing about it so much and its benefits. I’m not sure if I should potentially risk getting addicted even though there seems to be nothing wrong with getting addicted to it
Andrew here is a question that maybe you can respond to: There is no doubt that going under anesthetic has an impact on brain function, especially for seniors. Would using nicotine pouch or patch be a possible course of action it alleviate the brain fog? Asking for my old neighbor that has undergone way too many surgeries in the last year.
In order to quit any addiction, you need strong very strong reasons clearly. It doesn’t matter if you say you want to quit, why do you want to quit? why must you stop it? and what will you get gain from quitting as well. Clear reasons gives you that edge in everything in life. Also fck that excuse ‘ I will quit once i done this or this ‘. Perhaps you have not reached that state of your life where the addiction is so servere it actually interferes with your quality of life, and if so then you need to find the reasons to stop, the fact that it interferes with your life should be a solid reason already there, mental health as priority. But try, and then learn. You will learn reasons come in handy, strong ones at that.
i don’t know about that, but cigarette is like a dessert for me, a meal without one is not a complete meal… and somehow my brain has a break for cigarette the craving just stop, and it has to be menthol cigarette if it isn’t it doesn’t do anything at all. i know it’s bad and all, but need it to stay focus and motivated, yet my great grandfather an avid smoker had live for 110 years, not my grandfather though he lived for 79 years, maybe i could get to 60 or 65 lol. *edit : Stinky bean, if you’re south east Asian you probably know about stinky bean, when you smoke after you ate stinky bean dish, it hit different it’s GOOD.
Hi I vaped for the first time two weeks ago. Bought a vaping device, put liquid in that contained small amounts of nicotine. After vaping my throat started to feel sore. I then developed throat inflammation / infection, and with catarrh gathering in the throat. 2 weeks later i still have the throat soreness. Anyone know why that is and why it happened ? I didnt vape heavily Has anyone had similar experiences ? And how to cure this problem ?
I don’t know if I should stop because I feel fine and I don’t get nicotine withdrawals or anything like that when I go a week randomly but I do the FRE nicotine pouches 12 mg and I put about Eight of them in my mouth at once because I like the buzz makes my music sound better when I’m working but I don’t know if it’s really bad for me because sometimes I forget to buy it or whatever and I don’t get any weird withdrawal symptoms I feel totally fine
I smoked a pack of cigarettes a day since 2017 until 20 days ago when I quit cold turkey due to hyperactivity, tremor, insomnia and underweight, I haven’t experienced any negative withdrawal symptoms except the usual craving during the activities I associated with smoking, the cravings dissipated completely after 2 weeks clean. I think nicotine addiction is a myth, people think they’re addicted so they become addicted due to illusory truth effect. the withdrawal symptoms are all placebos.
I am 69 and I vape. As a young man I smoked and quit many times but once married my wife demanded it. Thank you dear! In my 50s I started smoking on the sly and then switched to vaping. I do enjoy it and when I hike or mountain climb I leave the vape in the car and damn, getting back to the car is fueled by my desire to vape and reload on nicotine. Great motivator in that case. In my late 50s early 60s I worked on a research project and nicotine from vaping kept me focused. Hopefully it doesn’t kill me in the long run.
I’ve been smoking for nearly 5 years, Started when i was 17. I’ve been off it for a little over a week. I feel less hollow, like always being able to feel your heart and lungs, i can do rigorous activities frequently and feel more rewarded in doing so. But i was rolling my own for 3 years so im sure having less chemicals in your tobaccos help quitting. Used to smoke 3 a day (at times 5). Lost most physical functions during that time. Couldn’t play baseball because i couldn’t run a quarter of a track field. If you feel like you want to quit anything, forget its an option. Thats how i quit. (I know it’s been just a week yet i feel alot happier without it so im done for life)
Suffered from what I think to be severe depression which now I think is better. Tried mushrooms ( the chocolate bar type, only had 3.5 grams of shrooms total which I ate 😅) and what happend was special which I won’t share but it did have a lasting effect for me 1 month after I’ve taken it. It basically factory-reset my emotional sensitivity towards anything. Show me a article of a person crying and I will go through the same emotions as that person in that moment.
I have genetical ADHD in which zyn’s help me focus and suppress appetite. Many days I’ll have 1 big meal and not be hungry for lunch or breakfast. It’s helped me lose 10 pounds fairly fast. I am a baseball player in which I used to use adderall for games on focusing but it lowered my energy. Nicotine keeps my same energy level but adds in concentration. I feel like I’m an entirely different person on addy (specifically dexmethylphenodate).
hey doc i was wondering if you could help me understand nicotine replacement pouches i live in canada and the ones that are available to me are called zonic they are like the zyn pouches in the usa my concern is that they say they are food safe and okay to swallow the biproduct of it witch is in your syliva i belive these to be hard on your liver and kidneys what do you think
zyn really messed up my day to day operations. I used to think pouches were cleaner than dip because they only contained nicotine and flavoring. used to do 3-4 pouches a day. At this point im going through about 25 pouches a day, as embarrassing as it is. Please if youre reading this (as a parent or an addict) trying to replace vaping with zyn is the worst idea I ever had
Hi After learning the focus-enhancement effect of nicotine a couple of months ago, as a non-smoker I started to chew nicotine gum mainly for focus in my daily work when needed. After roughy 2 months of using 2mg nicotine gum lets say between 5 to 10 gums per week I really don’t feel like getting addicted to it and I can really feel the positive effect of it on my productivity. My question is can chewing this kind of gums have some damageable effects in the long run ? And if so is there a substitute to nicotine that could help enhance focus and lead to more productivity ? I have learned about ginkgo having some effect on focus but not sure that this will be as efficient as nicotine … Thanks
I have been searching for the negative effects of it, and every single time, it involves smoking. I want to know what is bad about nicotine, and the only thing I can find is that it is addictive. If it’s all good, except that it is addictive, how is being addicted to it bad? Makes zero sense. It is like saying drinking water is bad for you because yiu drink it out of a plastic bottle, and it’s addictive to drink water.
My doctors wont help me with my weight loss. I’ve been struggling to lose weight with kids, getting sick and being on steroids, and also me being non medicated for my adhd. So im using zyn to help with my energy levels and hoping to lose weight. At this point, im going to have a stroke if i dont get healthy. I have a sugar addiction and it sucks
I wonder how nicotine use impacts epigenetics. My mom was a heavy smoker. I didn’t start smoking until I was 19 but it was really the military that kickstarted that. I always hated smoking and dip for some obvious reasons. I’m 40 now and haven’t smoked in 12 years. It was the best decision of my life but now I gained 60lbs and have struggled to focus. I never thought anything of it because “smoking” bad so I assumed it was good for me. I also always thought I was felt smarter in my twenties. But I recently started Zyn and the level of focus I experience is off the charts. And surprise surprise no hunger. I’ve actually lost weight. This is both a terrible and amazing revelation. One one had I feel guilt for using it but on the other it’s unlocked my old self again. I should note I also respond well to Alpha GPC. Coincidence?
What about smoking just one cigarette a day? I used to smoke one cigarette with a cup of tea after a hard work day. I have stopped now but feel no better or worse just miss my small daily treat. Does one cigarette a day really harm ? Apart from the physical what about the emotional intelligence around it to give that small comfort zone instead of drinking lots of alcohol for example?
I’m curious if using the gum and it’s affect on constricting blood vessels, primarily my face. If you chew it will it having the same affects when it applies to sagging skin. We all know smokers age rapidly. I don’t want this of course but I’m liking what it does for my focus during the day especially since I’m practicing intermittent fasting…the gum helps.
I have to disagree on one point, the nicotine that is absorbed through the lungs during vaporization takes much longer to take effect than that which is absorbed through tobacco smoke. I have read this in studies, which I now unfortunately no longer have on the screen. The reason was in the by-products which are in cigarette smoke, but not in the vapor of an ezigarette.
I am a physician and I’ve been studying this subject for over a decade. I use nicotine gum, never smoked. The action of nicotine directly on the gut and acetylcholine receptors are equal to the anti inflammatory benefits of deep meditative breathing, by mimicking the action of the Vagus Nerve on the body. This is the direct way our body controls inflammatory cytokines. Is it addictive?? Yes. But using the oral route I found it much less addictive due to not being quite the direct route to your brain that the lungs are. I could learn Wim Hof breathing, or I can just use a piece of gum a couple times a day. Call me lazy I guess. Primary concern is that you get releases of insulin from nicotine also. Also raises T levels. That said, new diabetes drugs force damaged pancreas to release more insulin in diabetics. You see ads every day. More insulin is not great, but I tend to use it directly after lunch and dinner, when insulin would be used properly. And the amount is not significant. The mouse studies that caused this fear used amounts that are substantially higher than using a few pieces of gum every day. I’ve taken breaks from it and tapered off with zero issues. It’s tough for a few days but not impossible.
What this misses in praise of Nicotine and demonization of cigs is that cigs contain an MAO which really increases their addictive capabilities from mild stimulant to major brain chemistry modifier (MAO). This is why Rx drugs such as Wellbutrin are effective for quitting smoking. Being able to identify and articulate that point lets you separate nicotine as a standalone stimulant and deal with it’s addictive properties rationally. There’s a case for purity of Nicotine (without MAO) in Nicotine for pleasure products, and Nicotine with MAO in Nicotine for quitting smoking products, but this significantly escalates the regulatory hoops needed to jump through with FDA and until we see serious reforms, we probably cannot have highly effective quit smoking products. Smoking is a triad; physical action (hand to mouth inhale), Nicotine and MAO, simulating two of three is typically good enough.
If you look at the research nicotine is no worse than caffeine. There is a lot of public confusion with nicotine due to its association with harmful tobacco products, which is understandable. Exhibit A, this comment section is rife with misconceptions about nicotine. If you choose to eschew stimulants that is perfectly fine, but I’m sure half the people in here that are criticizing nicotine drink coffee.
After smoking for 25 years I tried an e cigarette 3 years ago. I haven’t had a craving for a cigarette since that day. I still puff the e-cig once in a while but I’m talking one puff every couple of hours, not a full cigarette every half hour like I used to do. I think I’m on the verge of not even craving the e-cig anymore.
Don’t fall for it. I only smoked for 5 years when I was partying and I never became dependent on them. But when I switched to nicotine pouches because of health reasons, in 4 weeks i was dipping each day and took the same nicotine as if i where smoking 1 – 2 packs of cigaretts a day. it messes with your dopamine system, your teath and gum hurts and bleeds. And the most annoying thing is you become addicted to it. You don’t take it to be more focused. You take it because you don’t want the withdrawal symptmomps. And if you think you will not get addicted, you are wrong. It’s the same like you would say I take cocaine a few times a week but it’s no problem because I have everything under control (Nicotince and cocaine are nearly the same level addictive) And when you notice you have an addiction it’s to late. Now you are part of a group who wants to quit but can’t because it’s fucking hard to quit nicotine. 1 Week free of nicotine – I’m proud of myself
I mean, yeah, that’s why snus is so popular in Scandinavia. It’s fucking vile, though. A better way of getting a nicotine rush is definitely something that helps a lot of people. I never started taking anything with nicotine, nor do I, for example, drink coffee. So I want to remain independent on nicotine and caffeine. However, I know many people who love both compounds recreationally, and for them, a better dosage method would be wonderful. Keep up the good (and lucrative) work!
It’s still too expensive though. I think the idea behind the product is certainly fascinating, but the modus operandi seems to fall through. It’s around $40 a pack. Is it still in the decreasing cost curve phase ? Really hope to see it competing with the cigarettes market and the prices to match soon enough!
I used to think that but there’s no free lunch. Nicotine speeds up your metabolism via the thyroid. If you try and stop you are at a high risk for hypothyroidism. That means depression, weight gain. Nicotine is an endocrine disruptor that doesn’t even compare to the addictiveness of coffee. I did nicotine sprays and gums, I still had to quit that and go through the horrible withdrawal and slump after three months on those. However I do agree it is a much better delivery than smoking, 100%.
So where can we see your studies on your products? Is there a paper or article that proposes the safer ways to consume nicotine? I am genuinely interested as I am surrounded by smokers, although I myself have never properly smoked a cigarette. While I do vape, I go with the lowest amount of publicly available nicotine possible in my area. I didn’t know that nicotine was a stimulant all on it’s own. I’m interested in the R&D that’s gone into Lucy to make nicotine consumption a safer hobby and a healthier alternative to vaping.
Yep, the quality and the type of nicotine ‘delivery’ is also important, and I find that smoking (w/o inhaling) the occasional premium cigar, which has no ‘additives’, in fact is very relaxing. Or as comedian George Burns, who lived to be a 100, used to say…. “Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman – or a bad woman; though it depends on how much happiness you can handle.”
Is there any relationship between nicotine and visualization skills? I have aphantasia and after 2 weeks of vaping it is as if I can conjure very simple and low quality static images, such as black and white trees, fruits, objects, but they do not last more than a few seconds and occur at most only about 4 times a day with a lot of effort. I also noticed that some allergies on my hands and face have diminished, it seems that nicotine acted as a mild antihistamine, bizarre.
I completely agree with the benefits of nicotine, but the ease of addiction for it is just so much greater than caffeine. Caffeine being (as far as I know) ingested makes a big difference for its absorption compared to nicotine (good luck ingesting that if you try), and there’s a culture around it. If we lived in a world where nicotine could be consumed like coffee, I would take it over a cup of joe anyday. Unfortunately, that’s just not the way it is. However, as I get older, I would definitely consider patches as a therapeutic for cognition.
Nicotine is a disk desiccant. It will accelerate degenerative disc disease and lead to painful radicular conditions faster than normal wear and tear. Orthopedic surgeons will often decline procedures to patients until they have completed a smoking/vaping cessation program because of how these habits can interfere with clinical outcomes of major procedures like fusions. We think of the heart and lungs as the two biggest victims of smoking/vaping, but often overlook the third major victim – our spines.
How do you get nicotine otc without cigarettes or chaw or any method that causes cancer or addiction? This is interesting to me as I cannot have any caffeine it gives me severe GI distress but if nicotine is a stimulant I could use that in place of caffeine for my workouts. Is that reasonable & if so what’s the best way to go about doing that?
Honestly, I’ve never even noticed the nicotine in tobacco products. For me, smoking was the appeal. That’s why I never got addicted to cigarettes or cigars, they taste like garbage, and make you sick. Hooka on the other hand, is magical. Shisha(?) is basically a candied tobacco. If smoked properly (without using aluminum foil 🙄) it can be extremely smooth, mild and flavorful. But if you’re in to stimulants, let’s consider cocaine. It seems like a really promising thing to me, when used in moderation (like coffee 🙄).
It seems dangerous to me to suggest nicotine is a good substitute to caffeine, or smoking. As John said it’s better at dopamine delivery. That is not a good thing, it’s bad! You know what else has a better dopamine delivery than caffeine? cocaine, heroin, and many other awful drugs. This guy may have the best intentions in mind, but to me it seems he’s a bit dim not connecting these basic dots together. Although I imagine something more sinister as hooking into smoking cessation to trigger peoples emotional reactions is an underhanded tactic used often by people who want trick people into seeing bad things as good.
If he hadn’t said he started Soylent I’d be a lot more receptive to his pitch, considering the production conditions Soylent was founded with. I also think his claims of a cigarette free world because nicotine is easily accessible completely misses the mark and demonstrates he doesn’t fundamentally understand why cigarettes and gambling are addictive. The physical and social aspects are as or more powerful addictions as a function of smoking. That said, it’s interesting to know it’s such a short half-life. That fact alone is enough to get me interested.
I’ve been a smoker and used the gum to quit. Have gone through this process more than once. I agree it’s better NOT to ingest nicotine by smoking. Also agree smoking makes nicotine more addictive. But that doesn’t mean nicotine isn’t addictive in any form. It is definitely an addictive substance. I could see myself staying on the gum and had to make a very strong determined conscious step by step to taper off the gum. But I can see people being addicted to the gum, particularly if companies get to start treating it like a tobacco product or vape, and get to add more nicotine and other substances to make the nicotine more pleasurable. The bottom line is nicotine has a strong effect altering your brain chemistry and once you’re on it / addicted, it’s very difficult to get off it. It’s NOT like missing a cup of coffee. It’s a much greater brain chemistry altering effect. Your brain and body won’t function without nicotine in your system constantly. This is why you need to take nicotine often all day and before going to bed and then immediately on waking up because of the nicotine depletion overnight. And it takes a significant amount of time of tapering off and quitting before you regain that full alertness and comfort of daily functioning without nicotine. Also importantly, companies who profit well from addiction means nicotine products are expensive and hurt your finances and well being in ways beyond just the nicotine addiction.
my step father will smoke 2 American Spirits around me back to back and it never bothered I would feel and breathe fine I actually liked the smell of it and the second hand buzz didn’t bother me. My lyft driver Smoked a Nooport in the car on my drive home. I FWLT AWFUL AND I COULDBT BREATHE For days I had a bad headache for days my nose stole shut and I just felt so crappy wrong and off. My gramps will smoke hogh qaulity cigars around me and I have 0 problem with it it doesn’t bother my lungs or I don’t feel sick from them they actually smell good. But you smoke a cigarette with over 4,000 chemicals in it like Nooport and im sick for days just from second hand smoke. Your smoking Arsenic Cadmium Lead ombolmibg fluid coolant aspestis.
It is a slippery slope to be consuming one of the most addictive substances known and then just stay with one delivery system, hoping you will be OK with making that choice. Coca leaves are also widely chewed and consumed in South America along with some crushed lime. People there have found a way to make it work for themselves doing that for thousands of years. Refining the alkaloids out of the leaves and consuming a white crystalline powder is a whole other story. For me it is the ease by which one can obtain so many varieties of Nicotine based products, readily at many local stores, that make me not want to even try and start using. Then there are all of these social rituals practiced when people congregate and smoke tobacco products, that seems to be forgotten. Somewhat similar to sitting down inside a tavern and having a few beers or inviting a friend over to your place and offering them an alcoholic beverage. Yes Nicotine usage in part is misunderstood and in part one should not tickle the Tiger’s tail and wake it up and roar. The Nicotine addict and being addicted is brutal lifestyle.
I think it represses your natural ability to deal with stress and emotions. At least in my experiance with the gum i always felt slightly more stress trapped in myself. If i wanted to fully relax i had to have at least a piece of gum within the hour. I feel like that somehow traps stress or a mental process instead of consistently feeling like you can handle things you kinda feel slightly ansy. Its extremely subtle at first. Idk maybe im just a fein.
Please don’t market nicotine like this its still an extremely addictive simulant. If people use tobacco in moderation, the old way, that would be the best. But having a new sparkly product to buy would increase nicotine use in people who do not smoke, and nicotine does have harmful effects itself on the body and brain.
John put it like this in perspective of millions could you take a long sip of coffee ☕️ and be fine I suppose do the same but with inhaling it for a long period of time I don’t think you’d be fine most would be nicotine sick aka me 😂 so no I don’t think nicotine is good nor do I like coffee ☕️ but if I had to chose it’d probably have to be the coffee
interesting points, but isn’t nicotine highly toxic? combine this with highly addictive and it seems like a bold choice compared to caffeine. also, kinda curious as to why coffee is the only caffeine source? we drink Guayusa tea on a daily basis and could not imagine replacing it with nicotine! Guayusa has l-theanine and theobromine, as well as caffeine and it’s the best energizer!
Here’s my perspective: EVERYTHING has a potential for harm. From my experience, nicotine pouches are great for you if you’re completely stressed out and need a hit. Now, if you’re doing it everyday, of course it’s bad for you. HOWEVER, if you’re taking care of your oral health, are physically active and maintain a decent diet, you’re not in as much danger. I’ve done Zyn and they’re fantastic. Obviously they’re not good for you but eating McDonald’s isn’t good for you as well..yet we shame nicotine users.
This guy is brilliant. Exactly the approach nicotine addiction needs. Moreover, if governments would make these alternative products, dare I say it – appealing. Yes, appealing! Such as not implementing terrible packaging, then people would actually want to use them more than traditional tobacco products thereby killing the tobacco industry.
Just had a look… there are some sus ass additives and fillers in this Lucy product though! Why is it so hard always for companies to get it right? It makes it seem like you’re complying with regulations to input toxins in the product to make it marketable and retail worthy, that or you only care about the profit and not the delivery system as you say. Talc? Calcium carbonate the artery blocker? Artificial sweeteners? This is inferior quality filler you can find in most cheap products on the market, but you’re charging customers £40 for it at a time. Not joking, even basic NiQuitin and Nicorette usually have less additives than this — the worst being, possibly, aspartame; not good admittedly. Did you not want to minimise or neutralise toxic load in favour of quality nicotine delivery?