Yes, it is addictive, but until recently nicotine was considered the least harmful ingredient in tobacco.
Now some experts are beginning to question whether nicotine is actually as harmless as thought, or whether its harmful effects are simply masked by the fact that other toxins in cigarettes are so much worse.
And it also raises questions about vaping – the “safer” alternative to cigarettes – as it also often contains nicotine.
Scientists have started to look at nicotine because even though smoking rates are at their lowest levels since records began (in the 1940s), vaping is on the rise.
In the UK, more than 270 people die every day from smoking-related diseases such as heart attacks, lung disease and cancer.
This toll is largely due to a toxic mix of harmful chemicals in cigarettes.
Until recently, nicotine was considered the least harmful ingredient in tobacco (archive image)
These include 1,3-butadiene (used to make rubber and can cause some blood cancers); Cadmium (found in batteries and linked to lung cancer); and Chromium VI (used to make paints and dyes, also linked to lung tumors).
In fact, there are thousands of harmful chemicals in cigarettes – some occur naturally in the tobacco plant, others are added during production to improve taste or increase the absorption of smoke into the lungs (to release more into the bloodstream and then into the brain). ). better “hit”).
But the innocent reason for tobacco’s deadly effects on human health has always been thought to be nicotine – the addictive ingredient that causes the “high” smokers crave, but which is considered relatively safe.
However, it is coming into the spotlight due to the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes, which give users the same nicotine effects as tobacco without exposing them to harmful chemicals – although there are separate concerns about the possible cancer-causing effects of gases known to standing as volatile organic gases are referred to as substances. , in vapors.
More than four million people now smoke in the UK and recent estimates suggest that the number of e-cigarette users will exceed the number of smokers in the coming years.
As a way to quit smoking, e-cigarettes are supported by charities such as the British Heart Foundation and Action on Smoking and Health, while the NHS website says that e-cigarettes increase the chance of quitting compared to nicotine gum or nicotine patches. double.
Nicotine occurs naturally, but in small amounts, in many plants, including tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant. But levels are highest in tobacco plants, where it acts as a built-in insecticide.
Its effect on the brain is well known: within 20 seconds of inhalation, chemical messengers such as dopamine, which are associated with reward and pleasure, are released. But it also increases heart rate and blood pressure and causes blood vessels to constrict. This is because nicotine causes the release of the hormone adrenaline. The big question is whether there is a long-term effect.
“Nicotine actually has physiological effects on the body,” says John Britton, professor of epidemiology at the University of Nottingham and former chairman of the Tobacco Advisory Group of the Royal College of Physicians. “It changes blood pressure and heart rate and has similar effects to caffeine.”
The problem was the lack of evidence for nicotine alone.
According to Professor Britton, one of the few large-scale studies to specifically show the effects of nicotine was carried out by scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, who examined data from more than 130,000 men who regularly use snus.
It is a tea bag-style tobacco product that is placed under the upper lip to allow nicotine to enter the bloodstream through the small blood vessels on the inside of the mouth. (Snus is very popular in Scandinavia and although it is illegal to consume in the UK, it is not illegal to consume.)
The study results showed that regular snus users were no more likely to have a heart attack than non-users, the European Journal of Epidemiology reported in 2012.
But now more recent studies – by another team of scientists at the Karolinska Institute – cast doubt on these findings.
The researchers examined the effects of snus on the arteries of otherwise healthy men. To do this, they temporarily cut off the blood supply to the forearm after taking the snus, then measured how much the arm “shrunk” before allowing the blood to flow again to see how quickly the arm returned to its original diameter . The faster this happens, the more elastic the veins are.
The researchers found that the nicotine from snus made arteries much stiffer, reducing blood flow and possibly increasing the risk of heart disease over time, according to findings published last June in the journal PloS One.
Some experts are beginning to question whether nicotine is actually as harmless as thought, or whether its harmful effects are simply masked by the fact that other toxins in cigarettes are so much worse.
Other studies suggest that the incidence of peripheral arterial disease (restricted blood flow in the legs and feet) from nicotine exposure through snus is similar to that from cigarette smoking.
In September, the British Professional Footballers’ Association announced an investigation into reports of increasing snus use (top footballers have reportedly been spotted using snus) and warned that it was linked to heart problems and reduced physical performance.
Additionally, a study presented at the American Heart Association conference last October found that e-cigarette users who were regularly exposed to nicotine consistently performed worse on treadmill tests designed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Non-steamer. Predicts cardiovascular disease – with harmful effects comparable to those of cigarettes. .
Laboratory studies also indicate a possible link with some types of cancer.
For example, nicotine has been shown to stimulate the growth of pancreatic cancer cells in mice, while a 2021 study at the Wake Forest School of Medicine in the US found that nicotine promotes the spread of breast cancer cells to the lungs, changing the environment in the lungs . Alter airways so that they promote tumor growth, reports the journal Nature Communications.
Dr. Marina Picciotto, a neuroscientist at Yale University, has studied the effects of nicotine on the brains of young adults and is particularly concerned about the exposure of young vapers during their crucial years of neurocognitive development.
She told Good Health, “We know from both preclinical and human studies that nicotine disrupts normal activity in the brain” — especially in areas related to memory, learning, attention and arousal.
According to Action on Smoking and Health, almost one in 20 children between the ages of 11 and 15 in the UK regularly smoke e-cigarettes, and among older teenagers the figure is already around one in six.
Activists fear that the fact that some e-cigarettes with flavors such as blackberry acid are designed to appeal to young palates means a new generation is being exposed to nicotine.
Dr. Picciotto says that while nicotine is potentially less harmful than other toxins in tobacco, “my concern is that we won’t know more about the effects of nicotine vaping for years to come – just as it may take decades to see the effects.” smoke becomes visible.” . become’. .
But Professor Britton says the risks are minimal.
“Being addicted to nicotine for a lifetime is probably similar to drinking coffee every day.” There is little evidence that it causes serious disease, and in humans the disease is exacerbated by tobacco and the many substances found in smoke.
“The real harm comes from the things you have to take with you to get the effect: toxins in tobacco and the other chemicals in e-cigarettes.”
“If one of my kids said they were vaping, I would say, ‘No, because of my dead body’ – why would I needlessly get addicted to something?” But if they say they vape instead of smoke, I’d definitely say yes; That’s a given.’
Do I really need…
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CLAIM: A heart monitor with a chest strap that “accurately records ECGs continuously for up to 24 hours”, says the manufacturer. Aimed at people who exercise a lot to “ensure they don’t overload the heart with exercise.”
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“However, the manufacturer states that it is not a medical device and is not intended for medical diagnosis. So it’s unlikely to be as reliable as an EKG in a hospital.”It’s also incredibly expensive.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
