Nicotine as a Nootropic (NaaN)
The science says that nicotine is good for mental performance and brain health.
Note: As I soon wrap up this series on Philip Morris International, I wanted to briefly look into the effects of nicotine on human health and performance. Thus, this isn’t an investment piece. It’s a summary of my findings on the effects of nicotine. Keep in mind, I’m not a medical professional.
So far this year, I’ve published several research pieces on Altria and Philip Morris. These two are often criticized for selling addictive products that cause disease.
But exactly what is it about cigarettes that make them so harmful?
While nicotine certainly makes cigarettes addictive, the harmful effects of smoking actually stem from the inhalation of smoke and the many chemicals found in tobacco leaves, not from nicotine itself.
In other words, nicotine is not the issue. However, the delivery of nicotine can be problematic.
Surprisingly, nicotine does not cause cancer. Nor does it cause heart disease. In fact, nicotine alone actually has a number of positive effects on brain health and mental performance. And billions of people consume it everyday.
Nicotine According to Andrew Huberman
Andrew Huberman is a professor of neurobiology at Stanford.
“[Like caffeine], nicotine has fundamentally changed human evolution, human consciousness, and [the] human experience.”
Nicotine is a substance that can promote cognitive function. It enhances focus and motivation. And it can be protective against certain forms of cognitive impairment — it can offset neurodegeneration and help protect against Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, which are linked to the deterioration of dopamine in the brain. Nicotine also suppresses appetite and increases metabolism.
When nicotine gets into the bloodstream and reaches the brain, it has three major effects:
Nicotine triggers the release of dopamine (feelings of alertness, wellbeing, and motivation).
Nicotine increases acetylcholine in the brain. Acetylcholine enhances focus, concentration, and mental performance. This effect lasts about thirty to forty-five minutes. Studies show that an increase in acetylcholine before and during learning improves information retention.
Nicotine triggers the release of norepinephrine, which increases alertness and energy levels.
These effects explain why — addictive properties aside — so many people consume nicotine. Like caffeine in coffee, nicotine enhances short-term mental performance and increases energy levels.
The main issues with nicotine are how its consumed and its addictive nature. The negative effects of smoking and vaping far outweigh the mental performance and brain health benefits of nicotine. But if nicotine can be consumed without smoke and harmful chemicals, it can have a positive impact.
Nicotine According to Dr. Peter Attia
Dr. Attia is a physician (MD from Stanford) focused on longevity science.
“If you can strip away the addictive nature of nicotine . . . , the actual molecule [is] quite interesting.”
Dr. Attia uses nicotine gum and pouches when he wants to enhance his mental performance. Surprisingly, he claims that he has been able to use nicotine for ten days at a time without developing an addiction. He uses it when he wants to write or focus on some work. He says nicotine can also induce weight-loss.
Nicotine isn’t dangerous. There are almost 70 carcinogens in cigarettes. But nicotine isn’t one of them. The World Health Organization does not list nicotine as a carcinogen. It does, however, list red meat and processed meat as potentially cancer-causing.
Nicotine is not the problem with cigarettes or vaping. The problem is the toxicity caused by the delivery of nicotine in the form of tobacco and vaping chemicals.
In my next piece, I will cover PMI’s M&A activity and the company’s efforts to develop and distribute safer methods of nicotine delivery.
Thanks for reading.
Other pieces in this series on PMI:
PM 0.00%↑ MO 0.00%↑ BTI 0.00%↑
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Thank you for linking the 2 videos with Peter Attia! I’m now considering taking Zyn 🤣