What nicotine does to your brain(economist.com)
economist.com
What nicotine does to your brain
https://economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/09/12/what-nicotine-does-to-your-brain
https://archive.ph/rC5UB
95 comments
I caught covid for the first time in jan of 2024, the illness itself wasn't that bad for me, like a common cold, but the aftereffects lingered for months. Eventually my ability to smell and taste came back in a few weeks, but the mental brain fog would not let go. I would sleep over 12 hours a night and still be tired. According to my fitness tracker my daily step and energy burn counts were cut in half. It was so bad I forgot my own phone number at one point and my gmail password. Looking at a screen of code was impossible, I couldn't focus for more than a few seconds. My friends commented on the noticeable changes in my acuity and behavior.
Based on some online anecdotal evidence, I decided to try nicotine "therapy". I bought 4mg smoking cessation mints, cut them in half with a pill cutter, and took 10-12 2mg doses per day at roughly one hour intervals. The effect was immediate and brain fog lifted in less than a week. It was like coming out of a long dream, or like I had been stoned for six months and then suddenly I was sober again. My fitness stats have exceeded where I was before I got sick.
This is just my own anecdotal experience, and there have definitely been some downsides. The mints are about $50/month. My dosage has ticked up a bit and I'm certainly addicted, at least once a day I take a full mint instead of a half for an extra kick. I'd like to taper off, but I'm not sure if I do how to know if any effects are withdrawal or resumption of the covid brain fog. I have a light caffeine habit (2 cups every morning) and I don't see the mints being any more harmful than the coffee, so I think I'm just going to stick with it.
Based on some online anecdotal evidence, I decided to try nicotine "therapy". I bought 4mg smoking cessation mints, cut them in half with a pill cutter, and took 10-12 2mg doses per day at roughly one hour intervals. The effect was immediate and brain fog lifted in less than a week. It was like coming out of a long dream, or like I had been stoned for six months and then suddenly I was sober again. My fitness stats have exceeded where I was before I got sick.
This is just my own anecdotal experience, and there have definitely been some downsides. The mints are about $50/month. My dosage has ticked up a bit and I'm certainly addicted, at least once a day I take a full mint instead of a half for an extra kick. I'd like to taper off, but I'm not sure if I do how to know if any effects are withdrawal or resumption of the covid brain fog. I have a light caffeine habit (2 cups every morning) and I don't see the mints being any more harmful than the coffee, so I think I'm just going to stick with it.
I suggest you to never try a real cigarette if you haven't already. Given that you are already addicted to nicotine the kick of the real deal could be too much to handle. And you don't want that habit, talking by experience. It's good that you found a drug that helps you, just don't inhale it.
I'd never suggest anyone to try a cigarette, but from my experience being addicted to nicotine is not easily translated to being addicted to cigarettes.
It takes a really different state of mind to start a cigarette habit especially due to awful taste and effect of ingesting a strong concentration of chemicals on your body that has nothing to do with dosed concentration of 'mostly just' nicotine.
It may be anecdotal and subjective reasoning, but I battled vape addiction differently than cigarette addiction. I'd classify tobacco addiction more of an emotional addiction, while vaping was more based on nicotine addiction which was more mechanical and predictable than the former.
It takes a really different state of mind to start a cigarette habit especially due to awful taste and effect of ingesting a strong concentration of chemicals on your body that has nothing to do with dosed concentration of 'mostly just' nicotine.
It may be anecdotal and subjective reasoning, but I battled vape addiction differently than cigarette addiction. I'd classify tobacco addiction more of an emotional addiction, while vaping was more based on nicotine addiction which was more mechanical and predictable than the former.
I have a similar average intake to you, and I've been on it much longer, about 3.5 years. I have had periods where I go off the stuff entirely, including a whole month and a half earlier this year. I've also had periods where my intake has spiked much higher.
The withdrawal symptoms are actually strangely pleasant to me as long as I'm in the right mood and have something interesting to focus on. You will get irritable at things you shouldn't, but as long as you keep that in mind, you should be able to stop yourself from totally flying off the handle. In terms of "fogginess," I find that it's actually mostly in your head. As in, I feel like my mind is dulled, yet when I present myself with a task I somehow find it solved to about the same standard that I'm used to. If you end up feeling foggy coming off of the stuff, give yourself at least a week or two to adjust.
The withdrawal symptoms are actually strangely pleasant to me as long as I'm in the right mood and have something interesting to focus on. You will get irritable at things you shouldn't, but as long as you keep that in mind, you should be able to stop yourself from totally flying off the handle. In terms of "fogginess," I find that it's actually mostly in your head. As in, I feel like my mind is dulled, yet when I present myself with a task I somehow find it solved to about the same standard that I'm used to. If you end up feeling foggy coming off of the stuff, give yourself at least a week or two to adjust.
>The withdrawal symptoms are actually strangely pleasant to me as long as I'm in the right mood and have something interesting to focus on.
i actually find this true, too. i’m dependent on nicotine lozenges and if i’m out and about and for some reason i don’t have my nicotine, i feel pretty locked in and focused on the task at hand (probably so i can hurry up and finish and access some nicotine). i often feel a bit chatty, too. maybe i haven’t tried being off it long enough to feel irritable. but this interesting headspace makes me optimistic that maybe quitting won’t be so bad, and that maybe the nicotine is somehow depressing my arousal and i’d be better without it (all the time).
i actually find this true, too. i’m dependent on nicotine lozenges and if i’m out and about and for some reason i don’t have my nicotine, i feel pretty locked in and focused on the task at hand (probably so i can hurry up and finish and access some nicotine). i often feel a bit chatty, too. maybe i haven’t tried being off it long enough to feel irritable. but this interesting headspace makes me optimistic that maybe quitting won’t be so bad, and that maybe the nicotine is somehow depressing my arousal and i’d be better without it (all the time).
Curious, have you noticed any change in gum health?
I was chewing the gum (not mints) for half a year going from 2mg to 4mg several years ago. I experienced receding gum line from inflammation.
I was chewing the gum (not mints) for half a year going from 2mg to 4mg several years ago. I experienced receding gum line from inflammation.
not him, but i use the amazon brand lozenges. they’re mints you tuck like a zyn, rather than gum. much less spicier in my mouth and doesn’t irritate my tummy like gum did. haven’t noticed any mouth issues but im sure a dentist wouldn’t approve
Out of curiosity what brand of gum did you choose? A few years back I had tried nicotine gum to see if it might encourage my sense of smell to improve, it’s been muted since Covid. It helped but the larger effect I noticed was one day in particular my word recall was phenomenal where usually I struggle and always grasping.
I caught Covid march 2020 and it broke my brain. watching Netflix was too difficult. I'm better now through a wide variety of things, but nicotine, via patches for me (half of a 7mg patch - don't want to get used to too much), gave me my life back. That, and a vagus nerve stimulator.
Lol, exact same story here except I caught covid very early days and started nicotine in 2023 after I stumbled upon the trials and anecdotes for the first time. Although unlike you I have tried quitting a few times and my brain fog absolutely comes back. The reason I would prefer not to do nicotine is for me (it seems like this is not the case for you) there is a very clear inflammatory aspect I cannot deny which impacts my exercise.
What is actually quite interesting to me is over the two years since I started nicotine I have grown increasingly disgusted with caffeine to the point where I just prefer not to take it any longer.
What is actually quite interesting to me is over the two years since I started nicotine I have grown increasingly disgusted with caffeine to the point where I just prefer not to take it any longer.
I am diagnosed ADHD. I have used dexamphetamine as prescribed which worked pretty well, in moderate dosages because I am sensitive, but I came to dislike the effect it had on me: I felt like I was attached to a horse that kept pulling me around even when I just wanted to stop and take a break. And the fact that I would crash 5 hours later.
In 2020, before even knowing I had ADHD, let alone being medicated, I managed to quit my (vaped) nicotine habit after using progressively smaller patches; meanwhile my executive dysfunction grew so much, during the most stressful time of my entire life, that I literally had a major nervous breakdown. It took years of therapy, diagnosis with ADHD, medication, to connect the two factors: I had been self-medicating with nicotine by entire life, and as I reduced the amount of it in my bloodstream, the more scattered I became [1]
Then I tested my theory: I bought some nicotine patches, cut at very low dosage. And lo! it was as effective as dexamphetamine was, with much fewer of the side-effects, no pulling effect [2] and cheaper. It's been now a year and a half and honestly it's been working great. I slap on a small patch in the morning, it lasts MUCH longer than a pill, and it even allowed me to move and still lead a productive life in a country where ADHD is not even recognised. I asked my psychiatrist and they confirmed that nicotine is known to work as a third-line medication but usually amphetamines are preferred.
This is not medical advice, yadda yadda, but worked for me, and I've always wanted to write a post about it. Regarding addiction: pretty much none, patches take too long to take effect to create addiction (i.e. caused by a predicable spike in dopamine). My dosage (~7.5mg patch cut out from a larger one) has been the same for the past 18 months, and trying larger doses just makes me sleepy (nicotine has a U-shaped effectiveness curve). Nicotine is much maligned, but if you do the research, avoid the smoking and inhalation devices but only use patches, maybe you'll find it helps you as well.
---
1: I read that cigarette smoke during the formative years is associated with lifelong ADHD, and my pet (silly) theory is that the increasing stigma surrounding smoking of the past ~30 years might be one of the many factors we see ADHD on the rise. We might have 2 or 3 generations of smoking parents that were themselves self-medicating because of growing up in times where smoking was commonplace.
2: if I need to feel like a productive machine for a couple hours, coffee and a tyrosine pill can recreate the amphetamine feeling pretty well
In 2020, before even knowing I had ADHD, let alone being medicated, I managed to quit my (vaped) nicotine habit after using progressively smaller patches; meanwhile my executive dysfunction grew so much, during the most stressful time of my entire life, that I literally had a major nervous breakdown. It took years of therapy, diagnosis with ADHD, medication, to connect the two factors: I had been self-medicating with nicotine by entire life, and as I reduced the amount of it in my bloodstream, the more scattered I became [1]
Then I tested my theory: I bought some nicotine patches, cut at very low dosage. And lo! it was as effective as dexamphetamine was, with much fewer of the side-effects, no pulling effect [2] and cheaper. It's been now a year and a half and honestly it's been working great. I slap on a small patch in the morning, it lasts MUCH longer than a pill, and it even allowed me to move and still lead a productive life in a country where ADHD is not even recognised. I asked my psychiatrist and they confirmed that nicotine is known to work as a third-line medication but usually amphetamines are preferred.
This is not medical advice, yadda yadda, but worked for me, and I've always wanted to write a post about it. Regarding addiction: pretty much none, patches take too long to take effect to create addiction (i.e. caused by a predicable spike in dopamine). My dosage (~7.5mg patch cut out from a larger one) has been the same for the past 18 months, and trying larger doses just makes me sleepy (nicotine has a U-shaped effectiveness curve). Nicotine is much maligned, but if you do the research, avoid the smoking and inhalation devices but only use patches, maybe you'll find it helps you as well.
---
1: I read that cigarette smoke during the formative years is associated with lifelong ADHD, and my pet (silly) theory is that the increasing stigma surrounding smoking of the past ~30 years might be one of the many factors we see ADHD on the rise. We might have 2 or 3 generations of smoking parents that were themselves self-medicating because of growing up in times where smoking was commonplace.
2: if I need to feel like a productive machine for a couple hours, coffee and a tyrosine pill can recreate the amphetamine feeling pretty well
As someone who can relate: nicotine spray has been a great alternative for me with the following advantages:
- better dose control for sensitive people, since you can use just one puff (unlike a patch, which delivers the full dose)
- much faster onset
Downsides: strong flavour and the need to spit it out if you have a sensitive stomach.
- better dose control for sensitive people, since you can use just one puff (unlike a patch, which delivers the full dose)
- much faster onset
Downsides: strong flavour and the need to spit it out if you have a sensitive stomach.
> much faster onset
That's what causes addiction though, which is a function of how quick and how large is the spike in dopamine levels over baseline. Nicotine patches take ~4 hours to reach peak dosage in the bloodstream, which is why I even considered them in the first place, as an ex-smoker that doesn't want to get addicted to the stuff ever again.
Nicotine from a cigarette, in comparison, takes about 7 seconds to cross the blood-brain barrier.
That's what causes addiction though, which is a function of how quick and how large is the spike in dopamine levels over baseline. Nicotine patches take ~4 hours to reach peak dosage in the bloodstream, which is why I even considered them in the first place, as an ex-smoker that doesn't want to get addicted to the stuff ever again.
Nicotine from a cigarette, in comparison, takes about 7 seconds to cross the blood-brain barrier.
Great point. If addiction is a concern (and rightly so with nicotine), that makes faster onset a bug rather than a feature. For me it’s fine, because a single pack lasts me a year.
Fellow ADHDer here, I'm not a smoker but long before I was diagnosed, lyrics from a song of my favorite band/artist hit me particularly hard. It was Drag by Joey Cape/Lagwagon, a song about the struggles of smoking. Here's the part, especially the last two lines.
The drag on the next one
Is something I can look forward to
Something to slow the synapse
Something to do with my hands
My experience parallels yours. I’ve been intermittently using cutdown patches, and B vitamins + magnesium, in an effort to have fewer complete nut-job breaks from reality.
Nicotine is a CNS stimulant, and cigarettes are somewhat of a fidget spinner, and social lubricant. What’s not to like.
For most people, long term nicotine use is probably less deleterious than long term amphetamine use.
More recently I starting testosterone, and that’s made me feel heaps less like a histrionic toddler.
Nicotine is a CNS stimulant, and cigarettes are somewhat of a fidget spinner, and social lubricant. What’s not to like.
For most people, long term nicotine use is probably less deleterious than long term amphetamine use.
More recently I starting testosterone, and that’s made me feel heaps less like a histrionic toddler.
> Nicotine is a CNS stimulant, and cigarettes are somewhat of a fidget spinner, and social lubricant. What’s not to like.
This was a joke?
> For most people, long term nicotine use is probably less deleterious than long term amphetamine use.
You meant most people prescribed amphetamines for medical conditions? Or most people?Recreational nicotine use is less deleterious than recreational amphetamine use probably. Comparing therapeutic use would include sources ideally.
This was a joke?
> For most people, long term nicotine use is probably less deleterious than long term amphetamine use.
You meant most people prescribed amphetamines for medical conditions? Or most people?Recreational nicotine use is less deleterious than recreational amphetamine use probably. Comparing therapeutic use would include sources ideally.
What I meant was:
Transdermal nicotine prescribed or self-administered for treatment of ADHD / ADHD like symptoms is probably less deleterious for the same patients than an amphetamine prescription.
Transdermal nicotine prescribed or self-administered for treatment of ADHD / ADHD like symptoms is probably less deleterious for the same patients than an amphetamine prescription.
> Comparing therapeutic use would include sources ideally.
I read that the first time you wrote it and still don’t understand what response you might by trying to elicit.
You did not understand it was a suggestion to provide sources?
There are no sources because nobody is really studying this, he's just speculating. Which he is allowed to do, since he didn't say it was a true thing. To me, it read very clearly that he was just speculating.
Thanks for helping clarify what was being asked.
I find it baffling when a misunderstanding occurs and the person being misunderstood just repeats their words.
You also motivated me to open a tab and enters some text.
This study indicates at least some benefits for transdermal nicotine for ADHD.
https://scholars.duke.edu/publication/659499
I find it baffling when a misunderstanding occurs and the person being misunderstood just repeats their words.
You also motivated me to open a tab and enters some text.
This study indicates at least some benefits for transdermal nicotine for ADHD.
https://scholars.duke.edu/publication/659499
Not a doctor, but can recommend methylphenidat any day over amphetamine. It is a much less "angry" version and the slow release evens the effect.
As ADHD "patient" that used both I usually tell the other way around. Ritalin has a weird crash and all the side effects for me while Dex is just like a super effective coffee with minimal crash or anything.
That pet theory might have legs. I like it.
I also blame screens. My other pet theory is that in 30 years we'll discover there is really no such thing as ADHD, just pre-frontal dopaminergic dysfunction from a lot of different causes, such as addiction (there is a great presentation by Dr. Todd Love about how ADHD and drug addiction present exactly the same), superstimuli frying our reward systems and natural differences in drive between people. What we're doing now is just treating the symptoms.
I think screens can provoke AHDL-like symptoms or perhaps even trigger ADHD, but it existed before screens. Also a lot of illnesses are managed, even when we actually know the cause, we can't always undo the damage, just manage it.
Except that ADHD is older than screens, and exists without drugs or addiction.
Yes, but incidence rates are increasing. You can blame that on better diagnoses, or, more likely in my opinion, some other factors which didn't exist before.
It can be both though, there's ADHD as it is currently understood as a genetic/neurological issue where the dopaminergic system is impacted, and creates all the effects experienced by ADHD sufferers.
There might also be environmental issues, like you mention, that could be creating similar issues but not from the point of a genetic neurological divergence.
That is an important distinction since the treatment for one cause is very different to another.
The incidence rates increasing are very correlated to better diagnoses, 30 years ago most people with ADHD wouldn't be diagnosed unless they fit into the extreme cases of it. That was my experience, as a kid I was very bright but considered "lazy" since I couldn't focus as my peers did out of school, was always interested during classes, and excelled in school even though I could never do my homework or other assignments, constantly forgot important deadlines, it was always stressful but I found ways to manage it. Thirty years later and I fit in the criteria, no idea how my life would've turned out if I knew about it before, my coping/management mechanisms ended up being to lean into the stress and harness it, it made me achieve things but also created a whole other host of issues with anxiety later in life.
There might also be environmental issues, like you mention, that could be creating similar issues but not from the point of a genetic neurological divergence.
That is an important distinction since the treatment for one cause is very different to another.
The incidence rates increasing are very correlated to better diagnoses, 30 years ago most people with ADHD wouldn't be diagnosed unless they fit into the extreme cases of it. That was my experience, as a kid I was very bright but considered "lazy" since I couldn't focus as my peers did out of school, was always interested during classes, and excelled in school even though I could never do my homework or other assignments, constantly forgot important deadlines, it was always stressful but I found ways to manage it. Thirty years later and I fit in the criteria, no idea how my life would've turned out if I knew about it before, my coping/management mechanisms ended up being to lean into the stress and harness it, it made me achieve things but also created a whole other host of issues with anxiety later in life.
I was just recently talking to my fellow ADHD friends on the benefits that i felt when i started vaping this summer. It was like i was medicating away my ADHD. I turned to AI to investigate further, its response seemed to underwrite this observation
Gemini output: Research is exploring nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonists as a potential non-stimulant treatment for ADHD, sidestepping the issues of pure nicotine's high addiction liability.
The mechanism focuses on boosting dopamine (DA) and acetylcholine (ACh) release in brain areas governing attention and executive function, primarily by targeting the alpha4beta2 and alpha7 nAChR subtypes.
The goal is highly selective compounds that target the cognitive benefits (linked to alpha4beta2) while avoiding undesirable side effects and addiction pathways.
Selective alpha4beta2 Agonists (e.g., ABT-418, ABT-894/Sofinicline): These were developed to strongly activate the receptor most associated with DA release. Pilot and Phase II studies showed a signal of efficacy in adults with ADHD, with effect sizes similar to non-stimulant medications like atomoxetine.
Varenicline (Chantix/Champix): This is a partial alpha4beta2 agonist, FDA-approved for smoking cessation. Smaller trials suggested improvements in ADHD symptoms, but large-scale development for ADHD has been limited or terminated, and it is not approved for this indication.
Bupropion (Wellbutrin/Zyban): An established non-stimulant ADHD treatment (NDRI) and smoking cessation aid. While its main action is norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibition, it also acts as a nicotinic receptor antagonist (blocking it), which is believed to help reduce nicotine craving. It is an approved non-stimulant option for ADHD.
Gemini output: Research is exploring nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonists as a potential non-stimulant treatment for ADHD, sidestepping the issues of pure nicotine's high addiction liability.
The mechanism focuses on boosting dopamine (DA) and acetylcholine (ACh) release in brain areas governing attention and executive function, primarily by targeting the alpha4beta2 and alpha7 nAChR subtypes.
The goal is highly selective compounds that target the cognitive benefits (linked to alpha4beta2) while avoiding undesirable side effects and addiction pathways.
Selective alpha4beta2 Agonists (e.g., ABT-418, ABT-894/Sofinicline): These were developed to strongly activate the receptor most associated with DA release. Pilot and Phase II studies showed a signal of efficacy in adults with ADHD, with effect sizes similar to non-stimulant medications like atomoxetine.
Varenicline (Chantix/Champix): This is a partial alpha4beta2 agonist, FDA-approved for smoking cessation. Smaller trials suggested improvements in ADHD symptoms, but large-scale development for ADHD has been limited or terminated, and it is not approved for this indication.
Bupropion (Wellbutrin/Zyban): An established non-stimulant ADHD treatment (NDRI) and smoking cessation aid. While its main action is norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibition, it also acts as a nicotinic receptor antagonist (blocking it), which is believed to help reduce nicotine craving. It is an approved non-stimulant option for ADHD.
You’re not participating in the conversation when you do this.
Provide snippets and references from primary sources or turn off.
Provide snippets and references from primary sources or turn off.
Compare and contrast https://gwern.net/nicotine
Much better article than the economist one.
Thanks for bringing it to me
Thanks for bringing it to me
I can't read the article unfortunately.
However nicotine also seems somewhat palliative to a range of mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar, anxiety, etc. I once read a paper that said something like 90% of schizophrenics were chain smokers who were self-medicating.
By that lens the widespread amount smoking in the past makes sense in eras before other pharmaceuticals.
However nicotine also seems somewhat palliative to a range of mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar, anxiety, etc. I once read a paper that said something like 90% of schizophrenics were chain smokers who were self-medicating.
By that lens the widespread amount smoking in the past makes sense in eras before other pharmaceuticals.
You’d be chasing dopamine hits too if the system forced you to take antidopaminergic medication.
Not really a difference for those of us who are not medicated, though. Everything around us, especially the stuff served up on the screen you are looking at now, is all clamoring for our attention, burning out our reward centers with reckless abandon in the process. Jumping from app to app has us chasing dopamine crumbs just like cigarettes did when I smoked them for 15 years of my life. The lesson is if you want to hack a human, make them feel something.
Nicotine has lots of benefits, as per many articles on PubMed. That said, tobacco is still one of the worst (unhealthiest) ways to consume nicotine.
What other widespread way of consuming nicotine was there before patches and vapes?
I'm all for measures looking to curb smoking, but the issue is that nicotine seems to be put in the same category, at least judging by PSAs in France. Every nicotine-containing product has scary messages on it, although not to the point of actual cigarettes.
I think it's the general trend of losing nuance in public discourse. Things are either all bad or all good. This only confuses to public who can't be reasonably expected to peruse PubMed and build their own understanding of the subject.
I'm all for measures looking to curb smoking, but the issue is that nicotine seems to be put in the same category, at least judging by PSAs in France. Every nicotine-containing product has scary messages on it, although not to the point of actual cigarettes.
I think it's the general trend of losing nuance in public discourse. Things are either all bad or all good. This only confuses to public who can't be reasonably expected to peruse PubMed and build their own understanding of the subject.
Chewing tobacco was probably more popular in the past.
It was, although not sure how healthier or unhealthier it is to smoking tobacco.
You die of mouth cancer instead of lung cancer. So....
That is besides the point though. It still could be healthier or unhealthier on many accounts.
Most smokers actually don't die of lung cancer. I think it's something like only 15% of lifetime smokers get lung cancer?
They die of heart disease, mostly, which is caused by... drumroll please... prolonged nicotine use! At least, in part. It's actually more complicated and we don't know for sure.
They die of heart disease, mostly, which is caused by... drumroll please... prolonged nicotine use! At least, in part. It's actually more complicated and we don't know for sure.
I don’t believe it’s primarily the nicotine that is causing the heart disease.
It’s the damages caused by deliberately concentrating and inhaling the combustion products of drier leaf matter.
It’s the damages caused by deliberately concentrating and inhaling the combustion products of drier leaf matter.
I guess the question is, how does leaves in your lungs cause your blood vessels in your, say, legs, to get damaged? Makes no sense.
The answer is, probably, nicotine. We know, for sure, nicotine contracts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. And we know high blood pressure over time damages blood vessels.
The answer is, probably, nicotine. We know, for sure, nicotine contracts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. And we know high blood pressure over time damages blood vessels.
You do realise whatever your blood absorbs in your lugs is distributed throughout your body? Some tissues will absorb certain types of chemicals more so than others.
You’re right though, nicotine is a CNS stimulant, which by definition does indeed constrict peripheral blood vessels, and raise blood pressure.
However, it is well documented that tobacco smoke contains many nastiest.
Check out the Health section here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_smoking
And well documented that wood smoke, and smoke from burning plant matter more generally, is a health hazard, and not just from the acute carbon monoxide risk.
You’re right though, nicotine is a CNS stimulant, which by definition does indeed constrict peripheral blood vessels, and raise blood pressure.
However, it is well documented that tobacco smoke contains many nastiest.
Check out the Health section here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_smoking
And well documented that wood smoke, and smoke from burning plant matter more generally, is a health hazard, and not just from the acute carbon monoxide risk.
I take 2mg gum 0 to perhaps 8 times a day. Usually 2-3.
When box empties, I take a week or two off.
Slightly sharpens thought and suppresses appetite in combination with caffeine. Helpful for getting reducing body fat and getting abs in my advanced age. Supposedly neuroprotective effects as well.
When box empties, I take a week or two off.
Slightly sharpens thought and suppresses appetite in combination with caffeine. Helpful for getting reducing body fat and getting abs in my advanced age. Supposedly neuroprotective effects as well.
There's also this short video from Kurzgesagt about smoking (nicotine) about this topic
https://youtu.be/_rBPwu2uS-w?si=VPqKyty7I96jtKj4
https://youtu.be/_rBPwu2uS-w?si=VPqKyty7I96jtKj4
That's a bad propaganda channel.
Yup, it is WEF's public relations animations arm basically.
Hey! Why do you say that? Curious to understand your POV
They are funded by wealthy people who most likely have them push their agenda.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurzgesagt#Sources_of_funding
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurzgesagt#Sources_of_funding
I’m funded by the fruits of my own labour, and tend to push agendas I subscribe to too.
0 Karma / 7 days old account.
TLDR;
• Nicotine boosts attention, memory and alertness by releasing dopamine and other neurotransmitters.
• It’s far less harmful than tobacco but highly addictive.
• Some evidence hints at therapeutic effects in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and schizophrenia models.
• Developing brains (foetus, adolescence) show lasting harm in animal studies.
• Nicotine boosts attention, memory and alertness by releasing dopamine and other neurotransmitters.
• It’s far less harmful than tobacco but highly addictive.
• Some evidence hints at therapeutic effects in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and schizophrenia models.
• Developing brains (foetus, adolescence) show lasting harm in animal studies.
Gwern's page (https://gwern.net/nicotine) and personal anecdata seems to go against the claims of nicotine by itself being addictive, especially 'highly addictive'.
Smoking (or even vaping) might be 'highly addictive'. But nicotine as eg patches that you glue on your skin doesn't seem to cause much addiction, if any at all.
Smoking (or even vaping) might be 'highly addictive'. But nicotine as eg patches that you glue on your skin doesn't seem to cause much addiction, if any at all.
Anecdata, but I am extremely addicted to nicotine lozenges.
In my anecdotal experience with common stimulants, caffeine is much more addictive and with worse withdrawal symptoms than therapeutic amounts of nicotine or amphetamine.
That said, smoked tobacco blows these out of the water and it's taken me more than a decade to kick the habit.
That said, smoked tobacco blows these out of the water and it's taken me more than a decade to kick the habit.
On the one hand, some webpage and you don't think it's addictive.
OTOH, decades of research and thousands of peer-reviewed papers, plus the authority of NIH, WHO, and FDA - to name a few - say it is highly addictive.
OTOH, decades of research and thousands of peer-reviewed papers, plus the authority of NIH, WHO, and FDA - to name a few - say it is highly addictive.
How many of those papers studied non smokers' nicotine patch use?
Decades of research confirmed administration route affects addiction potential generally.
Injected amphetamine is highly addictive. Many people who ingest amphetamine most days forget it some days.
Decades of research confirmed administration route affects addiction potential generally.
Injected amphetamine is highly addictive. Many people who ingest amphetamine most days forget it some days.
Where do you come up with your 'thousands of peer-reviewed papers'? The 'some webpage' is by Gwern who usually does a pretty good job surveying the literature. I'd actually trust him over NIH, WHO and FDA here (because Gwern's smart enough to take their opinion into account where it makes sense, and also look out for their biases; not because Gwern's magically smarter than them in general.)
Fair I am skeptical about smoking even really being addictive - what would you tell people if you found out that your product poisoned people to keep them using it? If enough people believe something it becomes true and most people are absolutely convinced smoking is difficult to give up.
Brain fog for me became a lot less prevalent recently. I got no idea what it is but I don't want it to stop.
I honestly think brain fog is mostly a mentality thing, but I have no evidence to back this up. It doesn't really matter what I eat. The only thing I changed was I started gymming again and I'm taking creatine. I still eat garbage food
I honestly think brain fog is mostly a mentality thing, but I have no evidence to back this up. It doesn't really matter what I eat. The only thing I changed was I started gymming again and I'm taking creatine. I still eat garbage food
Is it not well established that the single most beneficial activity to improve cognition & sense of wellbeing is weight training?
Sure, but I wouldn't know why that is. All I know is that it makes me feel a hell of a lot better than if I were doing my (bed)->(office desk)->(desk at home) cycle every day.
From what I read there are 1001 reasons why this helps, but a few that stuck with me was that working out creates norepinephrine (which influences your focus/attention), and releases BDNF which supports the growth of new braincells.
From what I read there are 1001 reasons why this helps, but a few that stuck with me was that working out creates norepinephrine (which influences your focus/attention), and releases BDNF which supports the growth of new braincells.
Beneficial? Yes. The single most beneficial activity? I would not claim this without sources.
Nothing is stopping you from looking it up.
You can even perform the experiment yourself.
You can even perform the experiment yourself.
Performing an experiment yourself means literally nothing. You're just a dude, and your mental state is your mental state. Not all mental state.
For people with certain conditions, like ADHD, the obvious best thing for 'brain fog' is not lifting weights. I'm sure it helps, but that's not top of the list.
Also, lifting weights is just one type of exercise. A lot of studies are actually focused on exercise as a whole, and some only aerobic exercise. I'm sure lifting weights is great, but is it better than, say, running? I'm not convinced.
For people with certain conditions, like ADHD, the obvious best thing for 'brain fog' is not lifting weights. I'm sure it helps, but that's not top of the list.
Also, lifting weights is just one type of exercise. A lot of studies are actually focused on exercise as a whole, and some only aerobic exercise. I'm sure lifting weights is great, but is it better than, say, running? I'm not convinced.
> Nothing is stopping you from looking it up.
You made the claim. Supporting it is your burden. And a few searches found no comparisons of weight training to other high intensity exercise. Or meditation. Or puzzles. Or nootropics.
> You can even perform the experiment yourself.
Is this a funding offer? Or ignorance of experiment design?
You made the claim. Supporting it is your burden. And a few searches found no comparisons of weight training to other high intensity exercise. Or meditation. Or puzzles. Or nootropics.
> You can even perform the experiment yourself.
Is this a funding offer? Or ignorance of experiment design?
I’m saying you can do each of those separately for six months, and you’ll probably find the resistance training to be the most beneficial.
It will make your dick harder (or clitoris, whatever), your muscles bigger, your mind clearer, your sense of purpose more apparent. It will increase your bone density, and improve your sense of well being. Things that aren’t doing you any favours will tend to fall by the wayside.
Failing that, asking people who’ve tried the resistance training / puzzles / nootropics / meditation experiment themselves is a low effort way of revealing a pattern.
Imagine it’s 2025, there’s an obesity epidemic, and people still think they can sit around and do fuck all to get well.
It will make your dick harder (or clitoris, whatever), your muscles bigger, your mind clearer, your sense of purpose more apparent. It will increase your bone density, and improve your sense of well being. Things that aren’t doing you any favours will tend to fall by the wayside.
Failing that, asking people who’ve tried the resistance training / puzzles / nootropics / meditation experiment themselves is a low effort way of revealing a pattern.
Imagine it’s 2025, there’s an obesity epidemic, and people still think they can sit around and do fuck all to get well.
You said I could look it up. Where could I look it up?
> Imagine it’s 2025, there’s an obesity epidemic, and people still think they can sit around and do fuck all to get well.
This was a straw man. I said weight training was beneficial. I named beneficial activities you did not. And the context was cognition and sense of well being. Not obesity. Many weight training advocates say cardio is more beneficial to lose weight. Taking drugs is the most effective activity to lose weight arguably.
> I’m saying you can do each of those separately for six months, and you’ll probably find the resistance training to be the most beneficial.
Probably was based on what?
There are many nootropics. There are many forms of exercise. There are many other activities or substances to improve cognition or sense of well being. Someone could spend decades trying each 6 months. And there would be not much reason to do this if the most beneficial activity was well established.
Many people who meditate would dispute 6 months would be adequate.
> Failing that, asking people who’ve tried the resistance training / puzzles / nootropics / meditation experiment themselves is a low effort way of revealing a pattern.
I know or knew many people who tried at least 1 of these. Few or none who tried all. Using this standard it is well established meditation is superior to weight training to improve sense of well being. Puzzles and strong cognition were correlated. But I suspect puzzles were not the cause.
> Imagine it’s 2025, there’s an obesity epidemic, and people still think they can sit around and do fuck all to get well.
This was a straw man. I said weight training was beneficial. I named beneficial activities you did not. And the context was cognition and sense of well being. Not obesity. Many weight training advocates say cardio is more beneficial to lose weight. Taking drugs is the most effective activity to lose weight arguably.
> I’m saying you can do each of those separately for six months, and you’ll probably find the resistance training to be the most beneficial.
Probably was based on what?
There are many nootropics. There are many forms of exercise. There are many other activities or substances to improve cognition or sense of well being. Someone could spend decades trying each 6 months. And there would be not much reason to do this if the most beneficial activity was well established.
Many people who meditate would dispute 6 months would be adequate.
> Failing that, asking people who’ve tried the resistance training / puzzles / nootropics / meditation experiment themselves is a low effort way of revealing a pattern.
I know or knew many people who tried at least 1 of these. Few or none who tried all. Using this standard it is well established meditation is superior to weight training to improve sense of well being. Puzzles and strong cognition were correlated. But I suspect puzzles were not the cause.
Creatine is supposedly good for cognitive performance, at least that's what I took from a couple of youtube videos I watched.
Creatine might not be without risks. Search for creatine withrawal symptoms. Some people are wrecked for months when they quit the supplement. I tried one cycle of 4 weeks and quit cold turkey and had a crash/depressive episode unlike i ever experienced before for about 7 days. I did like the benefits, it provided me resitance to mental fatigue. Roughly i'd say i experienced a "+30% boost", significant!
From what I understand, it increases ATP availability for neurons, which acts as the "energy to your brain"
Honestly, now that you have all-white snus, basically all of the issues of cigarettes are gone (and they are so fking expensive in Europe) and you get all of the benefits of nicotine. I don't need to go outside the office, just sit at my desk and continue working. Now that the market is developed you can vary nicotine dosage at will.
Maybe someone else here heard something different, but my dentist told me that there don't seem to be any dental issues associated with oral pouches, at least so far ?
Maybe someone else here heard something different, but my dentist told me that there don't seem to be any dental issues associated with oral pouches, at least so far ?
Find a new dentist. Nicotine pouches are incredibly bad for oral health. Huge risk of oral cancer. And it’ll make your gums recline, exposing your nerves (this hurts). Also nicotine itself is quite bad for you to begin with (cardiovascular health, anxiety, etc).
Sure snus is better than smoking, but that’s just because most things are better than smoking.
Sure snus is better than smoking, but that’s just because most things are better than smoking.
>And it’ll make your gums recline
Would you happen to have a source? I mentioned this specifically, he said that he is only aware of gums reclining for very heavy users (5+ pouches a day) and that from the other patients he has 1-2 pouches don't seem to have any noticeable effect.
Would you happen to have a source? I mentioned this specifically, he said that he is only aware of gums reclining for very heavy users (5+ pouches a day) and that from the other patients he has 1-2 pouches don't seem to have any noticeable effect.
https://www.google.com/search?q=nicotine+pouches+gum+health&...
... and mouth cancer is so much more serious than having your teeth fall out, yes, find a new dentist.
... and mouth cancer is so much more serious than having your teeth fall out, yes, find a new dentist.
... we'll never know from this paywalled article
... but we will know from this link, thanks!
edit: to think that such short-form drivel is locked behind a paywall is just sad.
edit: to think that such short-form drivel is locked behind a paywall is just sad.
roschdal(1)