[lickacube (OP)]

I was wondering what all nicotine does. I know that it speeds up chemical processes in the brain, and that eventually you get addicted because the brain gets used to that and needs the nicotine to continue those processes at normal speeds...but does it do anything at all positive?

[kimkat27]

no. it does nothing positive. the reason people say they smoke to keep weight off is that it gives you something to do with your hands and mouth rather than eat. it also provdes a relaxed sensation and most people eat more when they're anxious. on the same token, when you quit smoking you might crave more food or, again, need something to do to keep you busy and not smoking, so many people gain weight when they quit smoking. hope this helps. but no, nicotine does absolutely nothing good for the body.

i am NOT pregnant.

[another_someone]

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

quote:
Nicotine is an organic compound, a pyrrolidine-like alkaloid found naturally in the nightshade family of plants, such as tobacco and tomatoes.

Nicotine seems to provide both a stimulant and a depressant effect, and it is likely that the effect it has at any time is determined by the mood of the user, the environment and the circumstances of use. Studies have suggested that low doses have a depressant effect, whilst higher doses have stimulant effect.

In addition to the tobacco plant, nicotine is also found in lower quantities in other members of the Solanaceae (nightshade) family, which includes tomato, potato, eggplant (aubergine), and green pepper. Nicotine alkaloids are also found in the leaves of the coca plant.

In small doses nicotine has a stimulating effect, increasing activity, alertness and memory. Repeat users report a pleasant relaxing effect. It also increases the heart rate and blood pressure and reduces the appetite. In large doses it may cause vomiting and nausea. The LD50 of nicotine (that is, the lethal dosage reported to kill 50% of the population) is 50 mg/kg for rats and 3 mg/kg for mice. 40–60 mg can be a lethal dosage for adult human beings.

http://www.trdrp.org/research/PageGrant.asp?grant_id=490

quote:
The reason we are interested in studying the nicotinic receptors in relation to Parkinson's disease is because previous research has suggested that some of the movement problems experienced by Parkinson patients are less severe after smoking a cigarette, chewing nicotine gum or using the nicotine patch. As well, nicotine may help to lessen memory difficulties which occur in some people with Parkinson's disease. Research also suggests that Parkinson's disease occurs less frequently in people who smoke or use other tobacco products, and that it is nicotine which is responsible for these positive effects.

http://www.forces.org/evidence/hamilton/other/nicotine.htm

quote:
esearchers have long been aware that fewer smokers get Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases than non-smokers. Up to April l992, of the 17 studies on Alzheimer's and smoking which had been published in peer-reviewed journals, 13 reported a reduced risk for smokers and only four found no difference between smokers and non-smokers. Similar findings have been published on the effect of smoking and Parkinson's disease.
In an article in The Times of London (9/7/93), Dr. James Le Fanu provided an examination of the research on smoking and its apparent protective effect for certain diseases. Dr. Le Fanu stated unequivocally: "Smokers have a 50 per cent reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's--and the more smoked the greater the protection." He also noted that emerging research points to a similar effect of smoking on Parkinson's disease.

And, no I am not trying to promote smoking as something positive.  I do not myself smoke, and detest the smell of smoke.  I am merely highlighting that in nature, things are more complex than merely labelling things as good or bad would suggest.

George

[ukmicky]

As appetite is both a mental as well as a physical process and therefore is linked to enjoyment of food  through taste then I would say yes in a way smoking cigarettes is an appetite suppressant as it dulls the taste buds and even changes the actual taste of food usually for the worse. Which is a good reason why not to smoke.[]

Michael

[another_someone]

quote:Originally posted by ukmicky

As appetite is both a mental as well as a physical process and therefore is linked to enjoyment of food  through taste then I would say yes in a way smoking cigarettes is an appetite suppressant as it dulls the taste buds and even changes the actual taste of food usually for the worse. Which is a good reason why not to smoke.[]

Michael

I think it actually goes further than merely taste, I think it is a direct  effect on the dopamine receptors that undermine the pleasure of food.

http://whyfiles.org/024nicotine/brainscan.html

quote:
f you want to increase the level of a chemical inside the body, you could make more of the chemical. Or you could interfere with the body's mechanism for destroying it.
Recent information concerning dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and well-being, indicates that cigarette smoke might use both techniques for raising dopamine levels. If true, it could have serious consequences for smoking cessation programs.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20010701-000006.html

quote:
Dopamine, a neurochemical typically linked to mood, also plays a role in controlling appetite. It is responsible for transmitting reward signals within the brain in response to attractive stimuli including food, drugs and sex. "Obese subjects, however, seem to need to eat lots more food than a person of normal weight to feel satisfied and full," explains lead researcher Gene-Jack Wang, M.D., of Brookhaven Lab, whose research was recently published in The Lancet.
Using brain imaging, the researchers found that the heavier the individual, the less dopamine there is in his or her brain. So, overeating may be a desperate attempt to trigger that pleasurable sensation that follows a Thanksgiving dinner.
What remains unclear is whether obese people have fewer dopamine receptors to begin with, or if their brains have shut down some of the receptors in response to chronic overeating, in an attempt to prevent the release of excess dopamine. The hope is that the findings may one day lead to strategies aimed at improving dopamine function. "Right now, it's just a concept," says Wang. "We have drugs that modulate dopamine, but the problem is they're addictive." A safer route to go, he says, may be for people to join an overeaters support group. Or, better yet, to exercise--luckily, physical activity increases dopamine too.

George

[neilep]

Why not just eat cigarettes  ?

[Carolyn]

quote:Originally posted by neilep

Why not just eat cigarettes  ?

LOL.  Very interesting info Neil.  

I gained more than 70 lbs. when I quit.  I would say it was an appetite suppressant.  It does dull the taste buds.  Food tastes alot better now[].  It helped calm me down.  I know my poor children wanted to throw cigarettes at me the first few months after I quit.  They thought Satan had taken over my body[}:)]

[kimkat27]

i gained 30lbs when i quit smoking. i still want to smoke so much. it hasn't gotten any easier for me. i have been smoke-free for over 2 years and come close to relapse on a daily basis. it's a terrible habit. it has nothing good to offer.

yes, of course it makes you relax and it feels amazing and you grow to love the taste and smell and crave it. but when i said nothing good could come of it i was referring to how the negative side effects and health risks enormously outweigh any instant gratification or benefit that may come from smoking.

i am NOT pregnant.

[another_someone]

quote:Originally posted by neilep

Why not just eat cigarettes  ?

Cancer of the mouth – well known effect of chewing tobacco.

What I found interesting was that nicotine also exists in potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, etc. (although maybe the bits of them we eat are somewhat light on nicotine).

George

[lickacube (OP)]

Thanks..but I mean Nicotine in genereal..not smoking. Like the patch or the gum. One of my friends is doing a paper on it, claiming it supresses appetite.

[Hadrian]

Yes espicaly when you dont smoke and you have to sit at a table with somone who does. try chewing a patch sometime thah will do it! LOL

What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.

[oxxgaaabby]

okay.. so im doing an important project and need imformation about smoking and all of the details of still smoking today and quitting. the main focus is the weight gain associated with the process of quitting smoking. if you could take some time to fill it out it would be much appreciated! thankks again ! the link is: newbielink:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HDHY3YF [nonactive]

[Farcanal]

Nicotine molecules mimic the Dopamine in the brain and smokers get a feeling of relaxation and pleasure.

I smoked a pipe for years and napped it several years ago. Didn't put on weight 'cause I suddenly found energy that I never thought I had!

Tobacco is a Petunia and, as said before, a member of the spud family. It's quite a striking garden plant but produces thousands of seeds that go wild if ya don't keep it under control.

[JakeTse]

It seems not to have too much positive use, let alone appetite suppressant. Speaking of this, what do you think is the best appetite suppressant to kill appetite?

[syhprum]

When I was a boy smoking was considered an aid to child birth and recommended by midwives as it lead to lower birth weight of the babies.
I remember a TV program where the heat production of brown fat was demonstrated by an injection of an unnamed substance that they were ashamed to name but was presumably nicotine

[evan_au]

Dr. Le Fanu stated unequivocally: "Smokers have a 50 per cent reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's--and the more smoked the greater the protection." He also noted that emerging research points to a similar effect of smoking on Parkinson's disease.

Both Alzheimers & Parkinsons Diseases are neurodegenerative diseases that occur more often in the elderly.

Smoking makes you die younger, so it would tend to kill you before you develop neurodegenerative diseases.

The date of this post (2006) was in the era where tobacco companies were still paying doctors to produce favorable results so they could pretend that smoking was not a health hazard (at least in public - their private records show that they were well aware of the dangers of smoking).

The sugar industry is now using the same techniques to fight a sugar tax and public health action on obesity.