Can Nicotine Be Good for You?

[deathmetal]

My new patient explained that in her sophomore year at college she had started smoking. The effect, she said, was like “a key that fit perfectly into a lock.” Her brain felt clearer, her thoughts were more coherent, her mood and energy improved.
...I found her image of a key in a lock particularly striking; it was the very same one that psychiatrists and neurophysiologists use to describe the interactions in the brain between neurotransmitters and their receptors. And in fact, neurons do have receptors into which nicotine neatly fits, mimicking the actions of the brain’s own molecules.
...In other words, nicotine is like most of the medications I prescribe. Nearly all involve risks and in some, such as Ritalin, Adderall and other stimulants, many of the side effects are nearly identical to those of nicotine, including potential addiction. For some patients, a medication can lead to nearly miraculous improvements.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/06/opinion/sunday/can-nicotine-be-good-for-you.html?&_r=0

What an excellent article. Nicotine self-dosage, perhaps like a good pint at the local, may help many people. Even more, it may enhance what they already have.

 

[dadgy]

I find that my consumption of nicotine is healthier for the people around me, especially early on in the morning.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

In small doses I would say it can be a health benefit. There is actually nicotine in some foods. Such as Cauliflower, eggplant, potatoes, green tomatoes, etc. The last time I checked all of those foods were healthy and good for anyone's diet. The problem is that its not necessarily that nicotine is bad for you, but the amount of nicotine you take in along with all the other harmful chemicals that you take in (usually with cigarette smoking). Being that nicotine is addictive, cigarette smokers keeping coming back for their nic-fix and all those other harmful chemicals are usually what causes the problem (cancer, lung disease, heart disease etc.).

 

[brian64]

No doubt...which is one of the primary reasons for the continual progression toward making it a controlled substance imo. The pharmaceutical industry would love to have a monopoly on the legal use of it.

 

[warren]

brian: Any citations for your statement. I'd love to do some reading on the subject.

 

[ray47]

My doctor told me that nicotine can be beneficial and he has no problems with me smoking a pipe as long as I don't inhale. He further advised me that rinsing my mouth out after each bowl would be helpful.

 

[twoonefive]

Warren -http://discovermagazine.com/2014/march/13-nicotine-fix

 

[warren]

Thank you sir!

 

[warren]

I read it. Nothing to support brian's statement. The pharmaceutical companies are spending millions of dollars in research but, nothing supports his statement. If the nicotine research bears fruit, my opinion would be that they would develop synthetic nicotine so, no help for the tobacco farmers nor harm to the remaining smokers.

 

[mikestanley]

Dr. Fred Hanna has a pretty interesting discussion about nicotine in the radio show archives. I think it is worth a listen for anyone interested in the drug and its benefits etc.
Mike S.

 

[brian64]

Thanks twoonefive...looks like a good article upon an intial scan of it.
@Warren: I had no reference readily available, which is why I was careful to include the "imo" in my comments. It's just an opinion I've come to over time based on 3 things primarily: 1) info I've seen before such as the article twoonefive posted, 2) my own personal experience of the effects of nicotine as well as the effects others say it has on them, and 3) my perception (based on countless articles and interviews I've read and heard over the years) of the nature of the beast that is the pharmaceutical industry and the extent of its power and influence regarding such issues.
Perhaps I should have inserted an additional "imo" at the end of my statement, but I figured one was enough.

 

[pipestud]

My doctor told me that nicotine can be beneficial and he has no problems with me smoking a pipe as long as I don't inhale. He further advised me that rinsing my mouth out after each bowl would be helpful. - Ray47

Dang Ray, I'd be spending all day at my bathroom sink. Don't dentists ever recommend anythings besides rinsing?

 

[jeepnewbie]

I had been thinking about this earlier. Talking with a few folks that are surprised when they see me with a pipe and ask if its addictive. I tell them no, that I spend more money on pipes and working on them then I do smoking them, lol. On a serious note though I tell them I don't need it to get by on a daily basis, like cigarette smokers do. I say I tried coffin nails and get sick when I use them. I honestly think the chemicals in the coffin nails are the addictive part.

 

[andrew]

Vitamin B is derived from Nicotonic acid, it's also been proven to slow Alzheimer disease as well as help Parkinsons

http://www.sott.net/article/195249-Warning-Nicotine-Seriously-Improves-Health

 

[stickframer]

I saw an article a while ago about some possible benefits of nicotine. I was doing some research on Snus at the time.
On thing I recall is that nicotine can temporarily increase alertness and energy, and that taking nicotine could help athletes before a race or something to that effect.
Damn it now I've gotta find the article. ::
edit: hey jeep, I dont really know the science behind it, but cigs are engineered to be more addictive and therefore harder to quit.

 

[brian64]

Here's something for your perusal Warren:
The pharmaceutical interests supporting Tobacco Control
http://tctactics.org/index.php/Pharma

 

[stickframer]

Found it! My tea's not even cold haha.
On the benefits and lack of demerits of nicotine

 

[warren]

For certain addictive personalities, nicotine is very addictive. The rush becomes a mental necessity. There are physical addictions and psychological. Let's not mix them up in the discussion.
brian: Sorry about that. All these little initial things are pretty much ignored by my brain. I don't know if they are typos or code for something.
And, of course the companies support controlling tobacco, they are making millions off the gums, patches, etc. I've got a bit of pharmaceutical stocks in my portfolio. But, my opinion still leans towards synthetic nicotine as there would be no dependency on agriculture for the drug. Cheaper, with a steady supply, no worries about the weather impact.

 

[perdurabo]

Does the brain acknowledge the chemical? If yes, then we are talking hard wiring. So of course it's healthy, it's a natural occurrence.

 

[stickframer]

Here's the first paragraph from the I posted.

One of the reasons tobacco became so popular in the 1600s, along with tea & coffee (for their caffeine), was that nicotine is a powerful stimulant. Obvious enough; it affects tons of systems. Less obvious is that nicotine has many beneficial effects (and these benefits may be related to anomalous smoking results1); the infamous deadliness of smoking would seem to be almost solely from the smoke, not the nicotine. Even less obvious is that nicotine itself may not be especially addictive, and its addictiveness is genetically modulated2.