How can nicotine be good for me?

[neversickanymore]

HOW CAN NICOTINE BE GOOD FOR ME?
Jacob Silverman

By now the health hazards of smoking and tobacco use are well known. Smoking is the chief preventable cause of death in the United States and a major contributor to many types of cancer, heart disease and other serious or potentially fatal conditions. Cigarettes are also expensive, addictive and they leave a bad odor. However, medical researchers have begun to show interest in one of the most reviled components of cigarettes -- nicotine. And they're interested in this potent, powerfully addictive substance for its health benefits.

Over the past decade, new research has taught us more about how nicotine affects the brain and the body. Some of it is good news -- for example, a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease in smokers. Research has pointed to a compound called acetylcholine as the reason. Nicotine is structurally similar to acetylcholine, a naturally-occurring compound that serves as a neurotransmitter. Nicotine binds to nerve receptors and makes nerve cells fire more frequently. In one study, a group of Alzheimer's patients were given nicotine patches, while another received a placebo. Those with nicotine patches maintained their cognitive abilities longer and sometimes even recovered lost cognitive function. A follow-up study indicated that nicotine may also boost cognitive abilities in elderly people who aren't suffering from Alzheimer's but who are experiencing the typical mental decline associated with old age.

The transformation with nicotine happened when the nicotine patch was introduced. Intended to help smokers quit, the nicotine patch also opened up a whole new way of studying the drug. Suddenly scientists had a reliable delivery system -- one without the numerous carcinogens found in cigarettes -- that could be standardized across various studies. A 1982 study revealed that patients with ulcerative colitis had fewer flare-ups when taking nicotine. However, side effects proved nicotine to be a poor long-term treatment.

In 2000, a study performed at Stanford revealed surprising results about nicotine's effects on blood vessels. Contrary to popular opinion, the study showed that nicotine actually boosts the growth of new blood vessels. The discovery may lead to new treatments for diabetes. Many people with severe diabetes experience poor circulation, which can lead to gangrene and ultimately, limb amputation.

Researchers from the Scripps Research Institute published a study in 2002 that revealed a connection between nornicotine -- a chemical found in tobacco and also created when the body breaks down nicotine -- and a reduction of Alzheimer's symptoms. However, nornicotine is toxic, pointing to the need for a nontoxic substitute.

In 2006, Duke scientists found that people with depression who were treated with nicotine patches reported a decrease in their depressive feelings. The results were perhaps not surprising for a drug associated with imparting a "buzz." However, the research also showed a direct link between nicotine and an increase in the release of dopamine and serotonin, two vital neurotransmitters. A lack of dopamine or serotonin is a common cause of depression.

These studies point to potentially positive aspects of nicotine, but what can we do with this information? Surely people shouldn't start smoking for their health. Read on to find out about drug research associated with nicotine.

Nicotine may carry some health benefits with it, but the problem has been "the delivery system," says Don deBethizy. DeBethizy is the CEO of Targacept, a biotech company spun off from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and dedicated to researching nicotine-related drugs [Source: Wired]. No one should take up smoking, chewing tobacco or the patch for their health, especially those suffering from pre-existing medical conditions. The challenge is for scientists to find a way to derive medications from nicotine or to find a safe substitute for compounds like nornicotine.

We've already mentioned that nicotine's promotion of blood vessel growth may help diabetes patients. The pharmaceutical company CoMentis is testing a nicotine gel that's applied to needed areas in order to boost circulation and blood vessel development.

Targacept is currently running clinical trials for two nicotine-related drugs. One is designed to boost cognitive function in schizophrenia and Alzheimer's patients; the other is a pain reliever to be taken after having teeth pulled. These two vastly different treatments, both derived from nicotine.

While no nicotine-derived drugs are available yet, many are in the development or testing phases. The variety of conditions being studied reflects the excitement felt in the scientific community for the potential of nicotine: anxiety, depression, Alzheimer's, Tourette Syndrome, ADHD, Parkinson's disease, diabetes and schizophrenia. Many of these conditions are psychological in nature. Researchers point out that it's probably no coincidence that 50 percent of smokers have mental health problems and that depressed people are twice as likely as non-depressed people to be smokers. Dr. Ed Levin, a prominent nicotine researcher at Duke University, calls it a form of self-medicating [Source: Wired]. (It's also frequently more difficult for depressed people to quit smoking.)

It may be years before we see any nicotine-derived drugs on the market. Taking a drug from research to market can take hundreds of millions of dollars and years of work -- not to mention many trial stages and governmental approval. Even so, one day we may look at nicotine like we do opium, foxglove and nightshade. In one form, they're highly dangerous substances; in another, they're vital, even life-saving, medical treatments.

continued http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/nicotine-health-benefits1.htm

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

Cool cool. I didn't know that nicotine was toxic (peripherally) on its own.

 

[SONN]

are the harmala alkaloids in tobacco definitely not doing anything in this situations?

 

[Si Dread]

... can't say I know, but it was postulated many years ago, because of the discoveries surrounding ALzheimers detailed above, that smoking might actually be a far, far healthier habit to start as an older person, than as a young one...

 

[f33lg00d]

Ecig Are my issh and I don't think they'll ever cause me major ailment

 

[theWhiteLarryBird]

nice. so you'll still get cancer, but you'll remember why.. great fuckin study.

 

[Dysphoric]

How come they didn't bother mentioning E-cigs? From what I've heard they're very safe and that nicotine alone doesn't cause atherosclerosis or cancer.

I vaguely remember seeing a thread not too long ago talking about vaped nicotine alone being harmless. Anyone know what thread I'm referring to? I really want to find it.

 

[bit_pattern]

nice. so you'll still get cancer, but you'll remember why.. great fuckin study.

Yeah but you were probably going to get it anyway - 1 in 2 people do these days

 

[bit_pattern]

How come they didn't bother mentioning E-cigs? From what I've heard they're very safe and that nicotine alone doesn't cause atherosclerosis or cancer.

I vaguely remember seeing a thread not too long ago talking about vaped nicotine alone being harmless. Anyone know what thread I'm referring to? I really want to find it.

I don't know about that:

---------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK - The electronic cigarettes marketed as a safer alternative to the real thing produce immediate changes in users' airways, a small study suggests.

Researchers in Greece saw changes in the lung function of healthy smokers who puffed on an e-cigarette for just five minutes — although it's not clear what the long-term result of those responses might be in regular e-cigarette users, the team reports in the journal Chest.

"E-cigarettes" are battery-powered devices that allow users to inhale a vaporized liquid nicotine solution instead of tobacco smoke. They were designed as a way for smokers to get their nicotine fix without exposing themselves, or other people, to the toxins in tobacco smoke.

But some scientists, including officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, warn that too many questions remain about the safety of these products.

"This is the first evidence that just one (e-cigarette) use can have acute physiologic effects," said lead researcher Constantine I. Vardavas, of the Center for Global Tobacco Control at the Harvard School of Public Health.

For the new study, Vardavas and colleagues in Athens had 30 healthy smokers puff on an e-cigarette to see how it affected their airways.

The researchers found that after five minutes, users showed signs of airway constriction — as measured by several types of breathing tests — and of inflammation.

It is not known whether that short-term response could translate into health effects in the long run, including lung diseases like emphysema.

"More studies on the long-term effects are needed," Vardavas told Reuters Health.

But, he noted, if e-cigarettes trigger airway effects after just a few minutes, that raises concerns about repeated use of the products over time.

"There are claims that e-cigarettes have no health effects," Vardavas said. "But that's not correct."

http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-w...finds-e-cigarettes-affect-airways-and-quickly

 

[f33lg00d]

Bit all that article says is peoples throats are irritated after using an ecig, which seems very 'duh' too me and doesn't mean there's longterm side effects.

 

[bit_pattern]

Here's some more on e-cigs:

---------------------------------------------------------------

It can still kill you

E-cigarettes may not cause cancer, but that doesn’t make them safe.

Nicotine on its own is an extremely toxic poison similar to pesticides. When you take too much, you can get nicotine poisoning, which causes vomiting and nausea, and headaches.

Even in smaller doses it can be dangerous. When you take in nicotine, your body releases adrenaline — giving you a sudden rush of energy and increasing your heartbeat, blood pressure, and breathing. It also tells your body to pump your blood with sugars. Because of these effects, nicotine use is linked to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

A small study, presented at the European Respiratory Society’s annual meeting in February 2012 showed that e-cigarette smoking could have negative effects on people with coronary artery disease who have plaques in their arteries, because it lowers blood oxygen levels after 10 minutes of e-cigarette use. The researchers, from the University of Athens in Greece, suggested that people with these health issues should use other nicotine products to quit smoking.

Another small 2012 study published in the journal Chest also showed changes in lung functioning after use of e-cigarettes.

When asked about the Greek study, Klaus Lessnau, a lung doctor at Lennox Hill Hospital in New York City, told Robert Glatter of Forbes that “electronic cigarettes cannot be recommended to improve lung health, but there is certainly some degree of harm reduction compared to regular cigarette use,” because of the presence of fewer toxic and tar-based substances.

More research needed

A 2010 study published in the journal Tobacco Control suggested the five major e-cigarette brands had design flaws, lack of adequate labelling, and potential quality control issues.

The study was led by University of California, Riverside researcher Prue Talbot, who said at the time, “there are virtually no scientific studies on e-cigarettes and their safety. Our study – one of the first studies to evaluate e-cigarettes – shows that this product has many flaws, which could cause serious public health problems in the future if the flaws go uncorrected.”

As she noted, the health effects of nicotine, which is addictive, haven’t been adequately studied when separated from tobacco smoke. We know that when a regular cigarette is inhaled, the chemicals in it can cause cancer and lung problems. We don’t know how the body reacts to pure nicotine without these other chemicals — it could have its own set of negative health consequences.

Notably, former Surgeon General Richard Carmona — who highlighted the dangers of second-hand smoke during his tenure under George W. Bush — just joined the board of top selling e-cigarette company NJoy, Inc.

In March, Carmona said that he would be spearheading research into the health effects of inhaled nicotine and e-cigarettes.

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/e-cigarette-health-effects-2013-5

 

[bit_pattern]

Bit all that article says is peoples throats are irritated after using an ecig, which seems very 'duh' too me and doesn't mean there's longterm side effects.

We don't know the long term side-effects, that's the whole point - continued inflammation over long periods of time can cause real health problems. The point is, I was replying to someone who "has heard" that they're "very safe", rather than relying on things we've "heard", it's better to look at the qualitative evidence that is available - which isn't much.

Are e-cigs better than smoking? Almost certainly, big harm minimisation tick there.

Are e-cigs "very safe" - well, the jury is out on that one, people need to understand that there are still risks associated with something currently perceived as "safe". We know SFA about the potential long-term side-effects.

 

[Dysphoric]

Something from a more reliable source like ncbi is needed for those kind of claims. I'm pretty sure I saw someone like Ebola? posting studies showing nicotine alone being fairly harmless.

Nicotine on its own is an extremely toxic poison similar to pesticides.

LMAO! Okay it lost all validity here.

When you take too much, you can get nicotine poisoning, which causes vomiting and nausea, and headaches.

SMFH... Why would you link such a stupid article? Too much water must be a an extremely toxic poison similair to pesticides as well seeing as how it can kill you to...

 

[bit_pattern]

SMFH... Why would you link such a stupid article?

Because had you bothered to follow the link at all you would have found "something from a more reliable source like ncbi" embedded in the article - you dolt 8)

http://journal.publications.chestnet.org/article.aspx?articleid=1187104

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120902113550.htm

http://newsroom.ucr.edu/2506

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.03791.x/abstract

I'm pretty sure I saw someone like Ebola? posting studies showing nicotine alone being fairly harmless.

Yes but e-cigs are NOT "just nicotine" - they are nicotine suspended in polyethylene glycol with a bunch of other additives to make it taste a certain way, and all done with very little regulatory oversight.

LMAO! Okay it lost all validity here.

Do you honestly believe that nicotine ISN'T a toxic poison? Or it's NOT an effective pesticide?

https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/...-cousin-nicotine-are-good-as-a-pesticide.html

Tobacco, used on a small scale as a natural organic pesticide for hundreds of years, is getting new scientific attention as a potential mass-produced alternative to traditional commercial pesticides. That’s the topic of a report in ACS’ bi-weekly journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.

Cedric Briens and colleagues note that concerns about the health risks of tobacco have reduced demand and hurt tobacco farmers in some parts of the world. Scientists are looking for new uses for tobacco. One potential use is as a natural pesticide, due to tobacco’s content of toxic nicotine. For centuries, gardeners have used home-made mixtures of tobacco and water as a natural pesticide to kill insect pests. A “green” pesticide industry based on tobacco could provide additional income for farmers, and as well as a new eco-friendly pest-control agent, the scientists say.

They describe a promising way to convert tobacco leaves into pesticides with pyrolysis. That process involves heating tobacco leaves to about 900 degrees Fahrenheit in a vacuum, to produce an unrefined substance called bio-oil. The scientists tested tobacco bio-oil against a wide variety of insect pests, including 11 different fungi, four bacteria, and the Colorado potato beetle, a major agricultural pest that is increasingly resistant to current insecticides. The oil killed all of the beetles and blocked the growth of two types of bacteria and one fungus. Even after removal of the nicotine, the oil remained a very effective pesticide. Its ability of the oil to block some but not all of the microorganisms suggests that tobacco bio-oil may have additional value as a more selective pesticide than those currently in use, the report indicates.

 

[Dysphoric]

Yes but e-cigs are NOT "just nicotine"

The whole point was just nicotine alone. However I did raise the e-cig question, but my main focus was just nicotine and nicotine only.

Also that article is saying tobacco as a whole, I don't see it saying anything about the nicotine alone acting as a pesticide.

Even after removal of the nicotine, the oil remained a very effective pesticide.

All this suggests is that tobacco is the culprit, no?

 

[bit_pattern]

The whole point was just nicotine alone. However I did raise the e-cig question, but my main focus was just nicotine and nicotine only.

Yes, I answered your question about e-cigs, I was very clear that I was talking about e-cigs, you dismissed the concerns out of hand because the answer wasn't what you were expecting.

Also that article is saying tobacco as a whole, I don't see it saying anything about the nicotine alone acting as a pesticide.

All this suggests is that tobacco is the culprit, no?

You know, there's this thing, it's called Google, it's really fricking awesome

This is CLEARLY what the article was originally talking about:

Neonicotinoids are a class of neuro-active insecticides chemically similar to nicotine. The development of this class of insecticides began with work in the 1980s by Shell and the 1990s by Bayer.[1] The neonicotinoids were developed in large part because they show reduced toxicity compared to previously used organophosphate and carbamate insecticides. Most neonicotinoids show much lower toxicity in mammals than insects, but some breakdown products are toxic.[2] Neonicotinoids are the first new class of insecticides introduced in the last 50 years, and the neonicotinoid imidacloprid is currently the most widely used insecticide in the world.[3] The neonicotinoids include acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, sulfoxaflor, nitenpyram, nithiazine, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neonicotinoid

As for nicotine, it can be and is used as a pesticide, there's really no question about it - nicotine is a toxic poison:

As an insecticide[edit]
Tobacco was introduced to Europe in 1559, and by the late 17th century, it was used not only for smoking but also as an insecticide. After World War II, over 2,500 tons of nicotine insecticide (waste from the tobacco industry) were used worldwide, but by the 1980s the use of nicotine insecticide had declined below 200 tons. This was due to the availability of other insecticides that are cheaper and less harmful to mammals.[4]
Currently, nicotine, even in the form of tobacco dust, is prohibited as a pesticide for organic farming in the United States.[111][112][dead link]
In 2008, the EPA received a request, from the registrant, to cancel the registration of the last nicotine pesticide registered in the United States.[113] This request was granted, and since 1 January 2014, this pesticide has not been available for sale.[114]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine#As_an_insecticide

 

[JessFR]

Something from a more reliable source like ncbi is needed for those kind of claims. I'm pretty sure I saw someone like Ebola? posting studies showing nicotine alone being fairly harmless.



LMAO! Okay it lost all validity here.



SMFH... Why would you link such a stupid article? Too much water must be a an extremely toxic poison similair to pesticides as well seeing as how it can kill you to...

I'm with you, I read that line and was tempted to stop right there, read a bit more than gave up.

It's absurd to suggest that ANY health risk whatsoever warrants regulation.

EVERYTHING effects health SOMEWHAT. Diet, how much sun you get, even a simple blood test carries a tiny risk of complication. It's about the risks you're willing to take. Stress alone can cause health effects.... such as by being stressed constantly about all the most tiny risk factors that probably add up to very little compared to genetics.

Botox is one of the deadliest poisons known and an acceptably safe use was found.

Lines like "is a deadly poison" are weasel sentences, they have little real meaning because poison has little real meaning in the context it's given in.
"increases blood pressure" is even worse. Reading poor arguments that use weasel sentences to brainwash ignorant people raise my blood pressure and are bad for my health.

 

[JessFR]

Currently, nicotine, even in the form of tobacco dust, is prohibited as a pesticide for organic farming in the United States.

I just noticed that line, that has to be one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. I mean, do I even need to explain?

 

[spacejunk]

What's dumb about it?
Explaining why you think so might help elucidate your point.

I wonder about inhaling all that Propylene Glycol vapour. E-cigs aren't pure nicotine.

 

[JessFR]

Ok let me ask it this way... what happens if you want to grow organic tobacco?