6 Surprising Benefits of Nicotine
Nicotine is the most famous chemical on the planet thanks to tobacco and its addictive presence. But there’s more to understanding than this chemistry.
What is Nicotine?
Nicotine is an alkaloid found in plants. It has a strong effect on the parasympathetic nervous system, and most people know about nicotine because nicotine is the active ingredient in cigarettes, and forming the habit can be dangerous. As a powerful stimulant of the nervous system, the body begins to crave more compounds after exposure. Nicotine usually affects the body for a short time.
What many people don’t know is that this compound is also found in other types of foods/plants such as herbs, tomatoes, and potatoes. In some cases, it is used for medicinal purposes and can be helpful in treatment. Given that the main source of this stimulant is tobacco, many consider it a “bad” compound.
The Benefits of Nicotine
This compound has many benefits, including:
- prevent Parkinson’s disease
- Reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease
- improve memory
- energy boost
- reduced inflammation
- depression treatment
We will discuss this in detail below.
1. Parkinson’s disease
Although smoking is not recommended, studies have shown that smokers are three times less likely to develop Parkinson’s (according to certain studies).
2. Alzheimer’s disease
As a cognitive stimulant, nicotine may help reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
3 .Memory improvement
A burst of energy for cognitive functions related to nicotine may help improve information memory and retention of memories.
4. Tourette Syndrome
Some research suggests that regular supplementation of this alkaloid may reduce the severity of Tourette’s syndrome.
5. Arthritis
This compound has several anti-inflammatory drugs that make it an ideal treatment for arthritis and other chronic inflammatory problems, including headaches and irritable bowel syndrome.
6. Depression
The stimulant properties of this compound are excellent for people suffering from low energy, depression and mood disorders. Nicotine withdrawal is also said to cause depression and mood swings.
Nicotine Side Effects
These compounds have well-known side effects, particularly negative effects on addiction, nervous system disorders, tumor growth and brain development.
Addiction: The main side effect of nicotine is addictive. While injections or supplements often help people curb tobacco addiction, the body craves nicotine as long as the chemical is available.
Nervous System: As a powerful stimulant, excessive amounts of nicotine cause some form of anxiety, tension, and excessive stress hormones in the body.
Brain Development: Studies have shown that regular supplementation of this alkaloid before the brain is fully developed (ages 25-28) can damage the prefrontal cortex. For this reason, it is highly undesirable to smoke at a young age.
Tumors: It has been found that these compounds can worsen the growth of tumors and make cancer treatment less effective.