Nicotine

Health properties of nicotine

Ailments that nicotine protects against or heals

Plant sources of nicotine

Tobacco as a source of nicotine

Other sources of nicotine

Taking breaks from nicotine

References

Nicotine is an alkaloid found primarily in tobacco, and in trace quantities in other members of the Solanaceae family of plants (also known as nightshades). Traces of nicotine also exist in a few other plants such as tea and cocoa.

Nicotine was not used by humans until relatively recently. The first users were probably Australian aboriginals who used a native tobacco in a chewing mixture. In the Americas, nicotine was used much more extensively after the first humans arrived there.

The FDA and most Western health authorities say that nicotine is addictive and harmful. However, researchers who have challenged and examined the regulator-approved studies have found that nicotine is not addictive. (1, 2) In 2014 the FDA authorised the addition of 599 compounds as cigarette additives, and we can surmise that the main purpose of these additives was to make cigarettes addictive. (3) A 2016 study examined how to make cigarettes more addictive because nicotine alone does such a poor job. (3)

Health properties of nicotine

In small quantities nicotine is one of the most valuable healing and protective compounds available to humanity.

Appetite reduction. Nicotine acts on the hypothalamus, the brain region regulating hunger, by stimulating the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. This creates a sense of satisfaction, reducing the desire to eat. It also activates the cholinergic system, which can inhibit hunger signals. Additionally, nicotine may increase levels of peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), hormones that signal fullness.

Metabolism increase. Nicotine stimulates the release of adrenaline (epinephrine) from the adrenal glands, raising heart rate and energy expenditure. This activates the sympathetic nervous system, enhancing lipolysis (fat breakdown) and thermogenesis (heat production), particularly in brown adipose tissue. Studies suggest nicotine can increase resting metabolic rate by 7-15%, depending on dosage and individual response. (26, 27, 28, 30)

These effects are dose-dependent and vary between individuals, with prolonged use leading to tolerance. The impact is temporary, typically lasting hours, and cessation often reverses these changes, contributing to weight gain in some ex-smokers.

The half-life of nicotine in the body is about two hours, and it is primarily excreted in the urine.

Ailments that nicotine protects against or heals

• Aggression. (17, 18)
• Alzheimer's. (14)
• Arthritis (osteo arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis). (16)
• Asthma. (24)
• Autism, ASD. (17, 18)
• Cancers, tumours. (20, 23)
• Dementia. (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
• Diabetes type 1. (19)
• Endotoxemia. (16)
• Inflammation and diseases caused by systemic inflammation. (14, 15, 16, 21)
• Long covid. Patients given a 7 mg per day nicotine patch recovered from covid symptoms and post-covid complications in days. Taste and smell lost after a covid infection were restored in 13-16 days. (9)
• Memory loss. (10)
• Motor function inhibited, degraded gait. (10, 13, 14)
• Multiple sclerosis. (15)
• Myocarditis. (21)
• Parkinson's. A number of studies suggest that dietary nicotine might have the ability to slow the progress of Parkinson's disease. Note that this is a very low level of nicotine as it comes from the traces of nicotine in vegetables, rather than nicotine from tobacco or supplementation. (4, 10, 14)
• Periodontitis, gingivitis. (16)
• Schizophrenia. (11, 12, 13)
• Sepsis. (16)
• Sleep deprivation, effects of. (10, 18)
• Thyroid - hypothyroidism. (10)
• Ulcerative colitis. (16)
• Venoms - protection and recovery from many types of venoms including neurotoxic snake bites. (21)
• Viral infections such as covid-19 and rabies. (22) Studies show that smokers were protected from covid rather than succumbing to the infection because of their habit. (5, 6, 7, 8)

Plant sources of nicotine

• Members of the Solanaceae family (nightshade family) contain varying levels of nicotine. By far, the richest source of nicotine is the Solanaceae plant tobacco that belongs to the genus Nicotiana. Common commercial tobacco leaves (Nicotiana tabacum) contain approximately 0.5% to 9% nicotine, with an average around 1.5% to 3% or 15-30 mg/gram.
• Other species of Nicotiana plants can contain as little as 0.003 mg/gram, though most contain considerably more. Nicotine levels depending on factors like cultivar, growing conditions, plant stress and leaf maturity.
• Nicotiana rustica (Aztec Tobacco or Strong Tobacco) is native to South America and is known for its extremely high nicotine content, which can be up to nine times more potent than N. tabacum. It has a long history of use by indigenous cultures for ceremonial and ritual purposes, and is still used in traditional preparations like mapacho in the Amazon. Its main commercial use is to produce pesticides.
• Several non-Solanaceae plants also contain tiny amounts of nicotine, but so little that the nicotine is generally considered negligible and unlikely to produce significant pharmacological effects in humans..
• Cacao and chocolate 0.00023-0.00159 mg/gram. Dark chocolate with high cocoa content (70-85% cocoa) has higher nicotine levels while milk chocolate with lower cocoa content (10-12% cocoa) has less nicotine.
• Tea (green, black) 0.0001-0.000285 mg/gram. A cup of tea contains 0.00000008-0.000001041 mg of nicotine. Coffee does not contain nicotine.
• Eggplant (aubergine) 0.0001 mg/gram.
• Potato 0.000015 mg/gram rising to 0.000052 mg/gram when mashed or pureed. (Sweet potato has no nicotine.)
• Cauliflower 0.000017 mg/gram.
• Tomato 0.000007 mg/gram (higher in green tomatoes).
• Pepper (including bell pepper and chili pepper) 0.000007-0.00001 mg/gram.

Tobacco as a source of nicotine

Australian aboriginals used Duboisia hopwoodii (pituri), a native tobacco in the genus nicotiana, as a chewing mixture sometime after they arrived in Australia sixty thousand years ago. However, it was only ten to twenty thousand years ago that the first humans to enter the Americas started to use nicotine extensively. Early Americans cultivated and hybridised the different species of Nicotiana that were endemic in the warmer parts of the Americas. They smoked, chewed, snuffed and processed these tobaccos, recognising that tobacco in all these forms provided for good health and protection against many diseases. It is these hybridised American Nicotiana plants that are now widely spread around the world.

Tobacco from the Americas first appeared in Europe in the late 1400's, and within a hundred years was widely established as a recreational and medicinal practice. Smokers enjoyed cigarettes, cigars and pipe smoking using pure, unadulterated tobacco.

The modern era of cigarette additives began early in the twentieth century when companies like R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris started experimenting with flavourings like menthol and licorice and preservatives to differentiate brands and improve shelf life. In 1994 the major US tobacco companies submitted a list of 599 potential additives to the DHHS that was authorised by the FDA in 2014. This thoroughly corrupted cigarettes, in the same way that additives corrupt ultra-processed food. Smokers enjoyed the health benefits of nicotine despite all the additives, but I would suggest that smoking factory-made cigarettes is no longer a risk worth taking.

Pure high-quality tobacco is still produced in regions with a long history of tobacco cultivation, using traditional methods like air-curing and sun-drying. Key production areas include the USA states of Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina that grow varieties like Burley and Virginia. Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras are major producers of pure tobacco, especially cigar tobacco.

It is possible to buy unadulterated whole leaf and loose leaf tobacco, pre-cut tobacco for roll-your-own cigarettes, and cigars from these producers. You can buy them from online retailers, speciality tobacconists, and direct from these producers though this is less common and may require navigating import procedures. Always confirm product details with sellers to ensure no additives are included beyond natural curing agents.

Today, growing your own tobacco risks harsher legal penalties than growing your own marijuana. It is ironic that marijuana does not contain nicotine. This illustrates how governments, lobbied by the medical and pharmaceutical industries, want to remove nicotine from the hands of the public.

Other sources of nicotine

Nicotine patches, vaping products like e-cigarettes, nicotine gum and other chewables and nicotine sprays are available in most countries. Australia requires a prescription for nicotine-containing e-cigarettes but permits nicotine patches to be sold over-the-counter or as a prescription medication. They are regulated as medicinal products intended to aid smoking cessation.

Nicotine patches are the most convenient and economical way to get a steady and controlled dose of nicotine over a period of many hours. In Australia, the highest dose patches deliver 25 mg of nicotine over a 16 hour period. I cut these transparent sticky patches into quarters with scissors. Some users cut the patch into eighths for a smaller dose. I place one of these pieces on a different area of skin every morning after I wake up, and remove it before going to bed. I prefer to place a patch on top of one of my ribs, so I can press it down firmly and it is unlikely to be rubbed off by clothing. If it starts to come off you can use Elastoplast or medical skin tape to hold it down.

Taking breaks from nicotine

It is a good idea to take regular breaks from using nicotine. Prolonged use of nicotine leads to tolerance where the body adapts to its presence, requiring higher doses to achieve the same effects. (29) After weeks or months of use, many effects of nicotine may halve. (29) A study found that the initial 7-15% increase in resting metabolic rate diminished with prolonged nicotine use, stabilising at a lower baseline after 2-4 weeks of consistent exposure. (30) Another study showed how nAChR desensitisation occurs within hours of nicotine exposure, with chronic use shifting the balance toward reduced responsiveness, necessitating breaks or cessation for sensitivity to return. (31)

There is no schedule of recommended breaks, but it is best to remove the patch after 16 hours rather than leaving it on 24 hours. (29) Hughes recommends 1-2 weeks off every 1-3 months for regular users to reset tolerance, based on observations of improved withdrawal symptom management and receptor recovery in cessation trials. (25) The 2008 US Public Health Service clinical guidelines suggest a 4-6 week break every 6-12 months to prevent entrenched tolerance.

Your comments about any of your experiences - positive or negative - with your use of nicotine are welcome at Grow Youthful. I am always curious about your use of and experience with natural remedies, and your feedback is very welcome.

References

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4. Seunggu Han. Can dietary nicotine help fight Parkinson's disease? 27 February 2019. Medical News Today.

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