Is nicotine harmful for the body
You must have realized that smoking is harmful for health and once a person gets addicted to smoking it is very difficult to give it up. It is a well known fact that cigarettes can cause cancer due to about 4000 harmful chemicals that are present in it, with more than 50 chemicals being instrumental in increasing the risk of over 15 different types of cancer. It is estimated that smoking tobacco would lead to about 2.1 million cancer deaths by the year 2015, but it is to be understood that smoking causes these deaths. There is a controversy whether nicotine actually leads to lung cancer, or is it just a myth.
You would definitely know that nicotine is an active component of most tobacco products and is responsible for the feeling of high that is felt by most people when they smoke. It creates a feeling of relaxation and calmness when taken in small doses, with its psychoactive properties extending to an increase in heart rate and energy in the person. It is however to be realized that nicotine that is a colorless liquid and smells like tobacco turns brown when it is burnt and plays the role of altering the chemistry of the brain and you could get addicted to it with use.
But there is a controversy regarding whether nicotine is really addictive, with many research on the subject showing that nicotine is actually not addictive nor does it cause cancer. It is actually the chemicals that are found in cigarettes that make it addictive; this has been proved by the fact that once people start using nicotine patches and gums it becomes much easier to kick off the habit of being dependent on nicotine than trying to quit the smoking habit without these devices. Also the addiction to nicotine can be traced to the social and psychological patterns created by using nicotine products and is more of a chemical issue.
Again nicotine does not necessarily cause lung cancer; this is evident from the fact that nicotine gums and patches would otherwise not be available so easily over the counter. This may bring you into thinking that what then in cigarettes actually causes lung cancer. It is best to understand that it is just the smoke that is generated by smoking tobacco leaves. These tobacco leaves generate gases like carbon monoxide, free radicals, tar and other substances that actually act on the lung tissues and cause cell damage and cancerous tumors.
It is the smoke that goes in with fresh air that affects and clogs the cilia or fair hairs inside the lungs and results in their getting clogged and reducing their capacity to filter out dust and other foreign particles. The further depositing of tar and harmful chemicals on the lining of the lungs hinders free exchange of oxygen and carbon-di-oxide leading to the shortage of oxygen in the blood that is circulated.
The effect of nicotine – nicotine does not cause cancer
Nicotine has a similar chemical structure as neurotransmitters in the brain that allows it to activate not only the receptors in the brain, but also those in the other parts of the body like the heart, peripheral nervous system, adrenal glands and the muscles. These receptors have been active in the various functions of the body like muscle movement, heart rate, learning, memory and muscle movement, so nicotine affects these functions and makes them a bit abnormal.
Nicotine that can be addictive is responsible for causing its spontaneous release within the brain and this affect your moods, appetite and memory in addition to other bodily systems like the cardiovascular system and the respiratory system. Nicotine also causes a higher blood sugar due to the release of glucose from the pancreas.
It is still more significant to find that nicotine releases a neurotransmitter dopamine that is found to produce a feeling of pleasure and reward in the brain. Yes it is true that nicotine selectively damages the brain like other addictions like amphetamines, cocaine, and ecstasy and affects the fibers in the brain that control emotional control, sexual arousal, REM sleep and seizures.
It is again to be realized that nicotine is quickly metabolized and its effect is short lived and it may totally be absent within a few hours, hence there is the need for smoking or fulfilling the need to take it in some form again.
So multiple doses of nicotine are needed to prolong its effect, but multiple dosages of nicotine also create a tolerance within the body and initiates further intake. So abstaining from smoking and nicotine withdrawal syndrome may last for a month, though the craving takes a few months to get over. The withdrawal symptoms for nicotine too could range from irritability to attention deficits, and sleep disturbances to increased appetite.
As a last note, nicotine does not directly cause lung cancer, but it could turn addictive with time, but there is ample research to find out ways by which the same positive effects of heightened awareness and strengthened short term memory can be created and sustained without the ill-effects of nicotine.