Between the risks and benefits of nicotine, we learn about what nicotine is, it is known that nicotine is a natural substance that has a strong effect on the body’s vital functions, we review what is the truth about what scientific studies and research have found that nicotine has important benefits, follow these coming lines until you find a clear answer to everything related to it.

What is Nicotine

Nicotine is a natural component found in some plants and is an organic compound, and one of the most common plants in which nicotine is found is the tobaccoplant, and natural nicotine is found in many types of vegetables such as tomatoes, green peppers, potatoes, eggplants, and cola plants.

Benefits and harms of nicotine

Nicotine has two opposite effects on the body, it is a narcotic and at the same time a powerful stimulant, and when smoked, the following happens to the body:

• Increase relaxation and reduce insomnia.
• Improving memory and feeling more energized.
• The release of dopamine in the brain in areas of pleasure, causing happiness and joy and reducing the sensation of pain, and here its effect is very similar to the effect of other narcotic substances such as heroin and cocaine, but over time and the body’s habituation to nicotine reduces the feeling of happiness when smoking, and the body requests a gradual increase in the amount of cigarettes.
• Increased adrenaline production because nicotine stimulates the adrenal gland, which increases breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.
• Increased heart rate, which requires more oxygen to be supplied to the heart muscle, exposing the smoker to heart attacks.
• High blood sugar due to the reduced ability of the pancreas to secrete insulin.

The effect of nicotine on the brain

Nicotine has a temporary feel-good effect on the smoker’s brain, causing them to smoke more cigarettes and the more they smoke, the more they need nicotine, but the effect is prolonged:

• Patients with mental illnesses and depression and studies have shown a close association between smoking and depression and patients with schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder are more likely than others to become smokers.
• Drug and Alcohol Addicts These people, who use drugs and alcohol more than others, were initially smokers.

Symptoms of excess nicotine in the body

Symptoms of nicotine overdose cause a state of intoxication that lasts one to two hours in the case of mild intoxication, but if the intoxication occurs after taking a large dose of nicotine, it can last up to 24 hours

Some of the most common symptoms include

• Nausea and vomiting The most prominent symptom is a strong urge to vomit and nausea that lasts for a couple of hours.
• Stomach pain, which is when the patient feels a sharp, excruciating pain in the stomach.
• High blood pressure One of the most prominent signs is high blood pressure, as there is a close relationship between an increase in nicotine and an increase in high blood pressure.
• Rapid heartbeat is a normal result of high blood pressure and slow blood flow to the body.
• Dizziness, lightheadedness and lack of balance are symptoms of nicotine overload
• Pale face The patient develops nicotine poisoning damage, yellowing and pallor of the skin and the appearance of fatigue.
• A headache with other symptoms is a symptom of nicotine overload and is an important symptom to indicate the presence of intoxication.

What to do when nicotine increases in the blood

If you experience the above symptoms, you need to take some measures and first aid until the nicotine overdose is eliminated until you are seen by a specialized doctor:

Immediately stop smoking, no matter what type of cigarettes, hookahs, e-cigarettes, or smokers.

Wash your hands thoroughly so that the body does not absorb too much nicotine

Drinking plenty of water helps to dilute nicotine and get it out of the body.

Do not force the patient to eat and follow the instructions of the treating doctor.

Eat a spoonful of honey or a piece of candy to quickly relieve the symptoms from the body.

Regular physical activity helps cleanse the body of toxins.

Uses of nicotine

Scientific research and studies have shown that the positive effect of nicotine can be exploited in the treatment of some cases of stress and anxiety, increasing focus and attention. It has been used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s cases and reducing the severity of the disease in patients, and it has also been used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia patients, as well as in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome (ADHD) in children.

Normal blood nicotine levels

The percentage of nicotine in human blood is measured in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), and the normal level for the average nonsmoker is less than 10 ng/mL.

Is nicotine a drug?

Its effect on the body is similar to the effect of some types of drugs in terms of the feeling of happiness and strength that does not last long, as the smoker is forced to smoke to get that pleasure that ends the longer he smokes.

What does nicotine do in the body?

When nicotine reaches the body, it activates the adrenal glands, which release excessive adrenaline, which in turn stimulates glucose production, increases blood pressure and heart rate, and speeds up breathing.

Does the body need nicotine?

There are some researchers who believe that nicotine is like caffeine in coffee and that it is innocent of the bad harms that are responsible for smoking and not nicotine and that taking nicotine would be useful in the cases of some elderly people to avoid dementia and Alzheimer’s. Nicotine specifically binds to positive ion channels in receptors throughout the body. This action stimulates the release of a variety of neurotransmitters including, in particular, catecholamines and serotonin, helps with weight loss in cases of obesity and reduces the likelihood of ulcerative colitis and sleep apnea

Where is nicotine found?

It is found largely in the roots of the tobacco plant, which is grown in many countries around the world, the most famous of which is Kazakhstan.