On Nicotine
To live fully is to live with an awareness of the rumble of terror that underlies everything. - Ernest Becker
Nicotine is too often confused with tobacco, yet they are not one and the same. Nicotine in tobacco brings illness and death to millions of people, while nicotine in its pure form has the potential to be a valuable agent. Nicotine specifically binds to the cholinergic nicotinic gating site on cationic ion channels in receptors throughout the body. Sounds intense right? Simply, this action stimulates the release of a variety of neurotransmitters including especially catecholamines and serotonin.
When nicotine is isolated from tobacco containing products or cigarettes, it has a significantly different profile of effects in the body and for all intents and purposes should be seen as a different intervention.
Nicotine use may result in:
Positive reinforcement
Reduction of body weight
Enhancement of performance
Increased happiness
Reduction of cortisol
Increased motor reaction time
And protection against:
Parkinson's disease
Tourette's disease
Alzheimers disease
Ulcerative colitis
Sleep apnea
The reliability of these effects varies greatly, but justifies the use of this interesting compound.
Function
Nicotine has a few mechanisms at its roots. The first is that nicotine mimics the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and can directly activate acetylcholine receptors (which can then induce increases of catecholamines such as adrenaline and dopamine; this mechanism underlies both potential addiction and fat burning). Nicotine may also act as an anti-estrogenic compound, inhibiting aromatase and one of the two estrogen receptors directly; this may underlie some of the side-effects associated with chronic usage of nicotine, particularly in women. Finally, nicotine is pro-oxidative in nature but at a level which may be hormetic in nature, that works with the acetylcholine mechanism just mentioned to exert anti-inflammatory effects.
Nicotine appears to have a role as a fat burner due to its mechanisms, which for the most part increase adrenaline and then work through beta-adrenergic receptors (the molecular target of ephedrine); this increase in adrenaline mediates the increase in metabolic rate which is significant but short-lived with moderate usage. The increase in lipolysis (how available fatty acids are to be burnt) appears to be mediated by other, possibly pro-oxidative, mechanisms and not by adrenaline.
This increase in catecholamines also underlies many benefits of nicotine on cognition (attention and focus mainly) while the acetylcholine mimicking may promote a nootropic effect inherently.
In regards to addiction, the risk of nicotine and addiction is a measurement between how much nicotine is taken (with more nicotine being associated with greater risk) and the speed of nicotine reaching the brain (with faster spikes in neural concentration being associated with both greater perceived benefits and greater risk of addiction). Gums and patches have less potential risk for addiction than do cigarettes (with inhalers in the middle) due to speed nicotine reaches the brain.
Acutely, potential side-effects of nicotine are similar to acute side-effects of other stimulants such as ephedrine, yohimbine, or caffeine due to increasing catecholamines. Over the long term, the side-effect profile of nicotine may rival ephedrine as those two retain a degree of catecholamine secretion over time (the other two losing efficacy in 2 weeks or less).
Nicotine is rapidly absorbed into the blood and starts affecting the brain within 10 seconds. Once there, nicotine triggers a number of chemical reactions that create temporary feelings of pleasure and concentration. But these sensations are short-lived, subsiding within minutes.
These chemical reactions include the release of catecholamines such as adrenaline, the "fight or flight" hormone. Physically, adrenaline increases heart rate and blood pressure. When this occurs, the person may experience rapid, shallow breathing and the feeling of a racing heartbeat. Adrenaline also tells the body to dump excess glucose into the bloodstream.
Nicotine has effects on many different parts of the body:
The brain
Skin
Heart
Metabolism
Applications
To date, there have been studies showing benefits of nicotine, including decreased tension and increased thinking, as well as the stimulant's potential in warding off cognitive decline into Alzheimer's, delaying the progression of Parkinson's disease, and as a therapeutic approach for ADHD and Schizophrenia.
Nicotine can be administered via several methods (excluding cigarettes, which are not recommended due to risks greatly exceeding benefits):
An inhaler, which lets you rapidly feel the effects of nicotine (and inherently carries more risk than other forms due to the speed at which it works)
Topical patches, which have about a 1 hour delay between application and absorption and maintain constant serum levels of nicotine but with less cognitive spike (least risk potential, least nootropic potential)
Chewing gums, which are sort of an intermediate between the two
Patches
Lozenges
Nasal Sprays
There is currently insufficient evidence to suggest an 'optimal dose' of nicotine for non-smoking individuals.
For non-smoking individuals, it would be prudent to follow stimulant usage guidelines and start with a low dose and work up. This includes buying 2mg gums or cutting a 24mg nicotine patch into quarters to start, then work up to what is seen as the minimum effective dose. There is currently no established 'threshold' for when risk becomes too great as it varies between individuals.
If using nicotine as Nicotine Replacment Therapy (to curb smoking cravings), then following the instructions on the product is sufficient. These instructions may be excessive for a non-smoking individual.
Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times. - Mark Twain
Tolerance, Dependence, and Withdrawal
Nicotine can be addictive, and when used regularly, one’s body and mind learn to expect a certain amount of nicotine each day. Be mindful of how long nicotine is detectable and the side effects associated with its cessation. Proper use of the compound is needed to leverage it to its maximal use.
How Long Does Nicotine Stay in System?
Nicotine is mainly metabolized in the liver and is excreted via urine through the kidneys as well as in feces. How long it stays in one’s system depends on many factors, including age and weight; the type of nicotine product; frequency of use, hydration, and physical activity levels.
That said, the following are estimates for how long nicotine is detectable in one’s system:
Saliva test: One to four days
Blood test: Two to four days
Urine test: Two to four days
Hair follicle test: Up to 90 days
Withdrawal
As the level of nicotine in the blood drops, people may begin to feel edgy and agitated. The acute effects of nicotine wear off within minutes, which causes a host of physical and psychological symptoms:
Constipation, gas, stomach pain
Dry mouth
Fatigue
Headache
Inability to concentrate
Insomnia
Irritability, crankiness
In sum
It's now time to distinguish clearly between nicotine and smoking. The evidence shows smoking is the killer, not nicotine. Nicotine ≠ Tobacco.
Nicotine, like caffeine, has positive effects. It's a stimulant, which raises the heart rate and increases the speed of sensory information processing, easing tension and sharpening the mind. Nicotine can be used as a tool to stave off the negative effects of our modern environment. An increase in motor response time and cognitive processing is game changing. There is alpha in the use of nicotine. Health is wealth.