A Question About Nicotine Content

[deathmetal]

Hmm... and I had hoped for an easy way. I like lemon water anyway, so it's something I'll try just for the taste alone.
But, know of any good ways to alter tobacco pH to favor absorption?

 

[jitterbugdude]

Spray your tobacco with an alkaline solution such as baking soda. The snus guys use potassium carbonate to raise the pH. Not saying it'll taste good, just saying you'll get more nic absorption.

 

[zekest]

I would think tobacco, being a natural organic product, the nicotine level is subject to the growing season, soil, how/when harvested, stored, packaged, and handled/processed post farm field.

 

[deathmetal]

A few basic ideas:

pH is a measure of how acidic/basic water is. The range goes from 0 - 14, with 7 being neutral. pHs of less than 7 indicate acidity, whereas a pH of greater than 7 indicates a base.
http://water.usgs.gov/edu/ph.html

Some pHs of common foods:
http://foodsafety.wisc.edu/business_food/files/approximate_ph.pdf
This won't be easy. I see tofu qualifies but that sounds just wretched as a combination.

 

[jitterbugdude]

The pH of foods has nothing to do with the pH of your blood. It is absorbed nicotine into the blood that counts. The pH of blood is very tightly controlled between 7.35 and 7.45

I would think tobacco, being a natural organic product, the nicotine level is subject to the growing season, soil

Yes, but.. Tobacco farmers are professionals, they get their soil analyzed and apply fertilizer (particularly) Nitrogen to maintain the same level year after year. They harvest at the same time (so many days after blossom). So the tobacco you get is pretty much the same year to year. There are certainly some variations between a wet year and a dry year but those are minor.

 

[deathmetal]

It is absorbed nicotine into the blood that counts.

Would increasing the alkalinity of the leaf allow more to be absorbed? I ask because it seems that most tobacco has more nicotine in it than manifests in smoking it, and it varies among blends, which suggests that characteristics of the leaf other than sheer nicotine amount influence the amount absorbed by the user.

 

[jitterbugdude]

Yes it would. pH is the main factor that determines nicotine availability.