Everything You Need to Know about Nicotine

When we talk about e-cigarettes, especially as a tool to quit smoking, it becomes inevitable to talk about nicotine.

In the context of vaping, we name it practically every day: liquid nicotine, nicotine salts, liquids with or without nicotine, milligrams per milliliter, and so on.

But what exactly is nicotine?

Today we will discuss everything you need to know about this substance, the effects of nicotine on the human body, and its use in vaping.

What is Nicotine

Nicotine is a substance contained in various plants and is a natural anti-parasite since its ingestion causes a paralyzing effect in the victim.

More technically speaking, it is an alkaloid of plant origin, particularly concentrated in the tobacco plant leaves (1-8% depending on the variety).

When the leaves are dried and used to produce cigars, cigarettes, and pipe mixes, the nicotine remains on the plant matter and passes through the smoke to our body.

Its absorption through the mucosa of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tract is very rapid and reaches the brain in a short time (passing through the blood), where it carries out its many actions.

Nicotine: effects on humans

Once the substance enters our brain, at first, the sensations are stimulating, while a second, they become soothing and relaxing.

Here are the main effects of nicotine on our body:

• Increased heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory activity;
• Release of glucose, lower production of insulin by the pancreas, and consequent increase in blood sugar;
• Release of serotonin, vasopressin, dopamine, and adrenaline (feeling of contentment);
• Lack of appetite;
• Descending parabola with an initial euphoric peak followed by relaxation;
• Increased concentration, wakefulness, and reflexes;
• Increased beta-endorphin levels (decreased feeling of anxiety).

The appearance and duration of these effects depend on various factors, such as the consumer’s age, the habit of taking it, and prolonged use over time.

The more the body gets used to its presence, the longer it takes to dispose of it, while its accumulation causes an addiction that is difficult to abandon.

Is nicotine bad for you?

As you probably already imagine, nicotine is certainly not a breath of fresh mountain air, neither for the respiratory system nor for the circulatory system and least of all for the nervous system.

Its effects bring general stress to the organism, with the aggravating circumstance that addiction causes its consumption to become repeated over time.

Here are some of the side effects of nicotine:

• Increased tendency to clot
• Dizziness
• Stun
• Nausea
• Irregular sleep
• Increased risk of stroke
• Irritability
• Behavioral problems
• Tremors

However, despite the ton of negative effects, nicotine is not carcinogenic, and our body can tolerate it within certain limits.

But what happens if you take too much nicotine?

The lethal dose of nicotine for humans is 0.5-1.0 mg per kg of body weight, which is why it is not marketed in pure form but is already diluted in different solutions.

Let’s see now why nicotine is used in vaping and what differences there are with nicotine taken through smoking.

Use of nicotine in the E-cigarette

We have so far seen how nicotine interacts with our body and what are all the effects it causes inside the body: but if this substance can cause so many problems, why is it used in some liquids for e-cigarettes?

The answer is very simple: the presence of nicotine in e-juice is essential to combat smoking withdrawal crises.

When a person stops smoking, the body begins to slowly excrete nicotine and – simultaneously – require new intake, which is why the so-called “relapses” arise.

Its presence within the vaping mixes means that the transition from tobacco smoke to electronic vapor can take place without the need to put your hand on the package: a sort of lark mirror, which satisfies the body’s physiological needs during this change.

E-cigarette nicotine is usually dissolved in a solution of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) (or just one of the two) at a maximum concentration of 20 mg/ml.

This quantity is more than safe compared to the lethal dose we discussed before, and even the Nicotine Absorption from Electronic Cigarette Use study has shown how much it is necessary to raise the limit.

Furthermore, it’s worth mentioning that with a traditional cigarette, about 90% of the percentage of nicotine contained within it is metabolized. In contrast, the vaporized nicotine is absorbed for about 1/3 of the total.

Precisely for this reason, the effects of vaporized nicotine are generally milder than those resulting from tobacco combustion. The use of nicotine in vaping is, therefore, purely preparatory to abandoning the habit of smoking (notoriously carcinogenic) and preferably transitory. (see more here)

Modulating the quantity within the inhalation of liquids allows us to gradually reduce the dose over time to allow our body to quench without trauma.

Ultimately, nicotine is a substance that is useful for the purposes we have talked about but which must necessarily be handled as such.

Remember that vaping is not a game but a safer alternative to smoking, with a much lower impact than burnt tobacco.