Short answer
Alone, nicotine is not necessarily bad for you, but the way it enters your body can be.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
Nicotine alone does not pose many negative health risks on your body. In fact, it is mostly just a stimulant similar to caffeine. Nicotine and whole tobacco have been used for thousands of years for this purpose. Evidence of its use can still be seen in Mayan temple carvings. Before tobacco became a cash crop, it was used for religious events and as a medicine.
Nicotine can even enhance some of your daily activities. It has been shown to effectively enhance rapid visual cue processing and vigilance, and can sharpen your short-term memory, concentration, and attention. Nicotine binds to receptors in the brain that release dopamine which allows not only for the positive effects on concentration but also suppresses appetite, calms anxiety and body movement, and can improve mood and arousal. It is assumed that this dopamine effect is why long-term smokers with degenerative brain diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s show fewer symptoms than non-smokers.
Since nicotine is a stimulant, it is possible to experience some short-term symptoms after it enters your body. They are similar to other stimulants effects though and include increased heart rate, arrhythmia, chest pains, seizures, and skin rash.
Nicotine also raises your blood sugar, which explains why it can suppress your appetite. The danger in this effect is if you are a diabetic. A study by Xiao-Chuan Liu found that nicotine can raise HbA1c levels by as much as 34%. For diabetics, this means a greatly increased risk of blindness, negative heart health effects, and nerve damage.
It is important to note that the method of adding nicotine to your body is where the negative health effects can arise. The stimulant and addictive nature of the nicotine in cigarettes is exceptionally dangerous as it keeps you wanting more and more. But, the nicotine is not the dangerous part in the cigarette – the smoke and the nearly 6,000 chemicals it contains from additives in the cigarette is the problem. When these chemical enter your lungs through the inhaled smoke, your blood stream in immediately affected causing decreased oxygen transport and making blood platelets sticky increasing the risk of atherosclerosis.
When nicotine enters the body through other means such as gum, patches, lozenges, inhalers and sprays, there is no increased risk of heart disease or cancer.
Possible short-term side effects
- increased/uneven heartbeat
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chest pain
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seizure
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skin rash
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addiction
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increased blood sugar
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mild headache
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nausea
Possible withdrawal symptoms
- headache
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nausea
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constipation or diarrhea
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fatigue, drowsiness, and insomnia
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irritability
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difficulty concentrating
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anxiety
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depressed mood
Benefits
- boosts mood, memory, concentration
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suppress appetite
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calms anxiety and body movements
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Thank you for your feedback!
Written by Kristin Brown, DC, MS
Published on: 07-23-2016
Last updated: 12-10-2016
Thank you for your feedback!
Written by Kristin Brown, DC, MS
Published on: 07-23-2016
Last updated: 12-10-2016
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