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Comment by lesostep | Hacker News Reader

>> Source for the claim that nicotine use "ruins" gut health?

Not gut health specifically, but we run the tests on taking nicotine orally for nicotine sprays. It's definitely makes ulcers more likely to happen in short term usage.

What's even worse, it definitely fucks up your neuromodulators, which is very bad for children and young adults. That's a well known fact, it's why it's addictive, and that's why quitting it will make you have very bad mood swings.

The body adjusts to the dopamine spikes by lowering dopamine, and if it happens during brain development, it's just not good. Any addiction during brain development is not good, but especially a chemical one. Kids need to learn what their emotions are and how to control them before they can control them by chewing. Kids usually do it through teens and up to early adulthood.

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> What's even worse, it definitely fucks up your neuromodulators

fwiw despite decades of research into nicotine, we have very little data on how bad it actually is at low dosages and via delivery methods other than tobbacco. The vast majority of research on nicotine by itself is in the context of smoking cessation. A lot of the risks people warn about wrt nicotine (dopamine spikes, vasoconstriction, dependence, etc.) is also present in any stimulant, including ADHD medication and even coffee. Also, again, very limited research on this, but some of it suggests nicotine could be helpful for ADHD.

That said, none of this really detract from your point about risks in children, and the trendy delivery methods like vapes and pouches seem to be extremely addictive.

>> we have very little data on how bad it actually is at low dosages and via delivery methods other than tobbacco

Not true, we have a lot of data about using nicotine as pesticide. And quite a lot about oral toxicity. Pharma had nicotine sprays and tablets tasted for decades. Wouldn't be allowed on european market otherwise.

>> A lot of the risks people warn about wrt nicotine (dopamine spikes)

you misunderstand. The dopamine from coffee is purely from a personal enjoyment, while nicotine binds directly into nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain. It doesn't matter how it enters the blood, it will alter neurotransmitter activity.

That's why сytisine is so good for battling a nicotine addiction — it binds the same receptors and prevents the nicotine binding. It's like swapping one addiction for another, except nicotine stays in your system for a week while сytisine leaves quickly (5h).

So, you see, it's not "the same" as coffee, it's more like taking longlasting antianixiety or ADHD meds recreationally.

When you need meds like that, altering your brain chemistry is a desirable outcome, of course. I'm not against drugs overall.

But drugs like that are prescription only for a reason.

>> some of it suggests nicotine could be helpful for ADHD

some of what I've read also suggests that nicotine could be helpful for schizophrenia. But given that we know what mechanism it targets, I fully believe we can find an alternative formula that wouldn't be so toxic to humans.

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