Nicotine: What It Is, Characteristics And How It Affects Our Body
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are more than 1.3 billion tobacco smokers worldwide. Beyond this alarming figure, if we delve deeper into medical terms, things get drastically worse: up to half of those who consume it end up dying. Lung cancer clearly exemplifies this fact, as it is responsible for 25% of neoplastic processes in humans and causes more than 130,000 deaths annually.
As much as we all know the harm of this addiction, in certain countries tobacco consumption is still completely normalized. Without going any further, it is estimated that in regions like Spain 24.5% of the adult population smokes, with all the psychological, social and physiological effects that this entails.
Beyond figures, lung cancer, health and other topics, tobacco is fascinating from a physiological point of view. Today we tell you everything about its key component: nicotine
Nicotine, chemical name (S)-3-(1-methylpyrrolidin-2-yl) pyridine, is an alkaloid found primarily in the tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabacum). It is a secondary metabolite produced by the plant from amino acids, which is why it contains nitrogenous compounds in its chemical formula. Tobacco is not the only alkaloid known and used by humans: cocaine and caffeine are also examples of this.
Nicotine It is stored mainly in the leaves of the plant, accounting for 5% of its total dry weight This has a clear biological function: the compound is a pesticide that prevents certain invertebrates from preying on the leaves. In addition to this, herbicidal properties are also attributed to it, which reduces the growth of other plants close to tobacco, thus causing greater availability of resources in the plant.
In addition to the tobacco plant known to all (Nicotine tabacum), There are other plants that synthesize this alkaloid in variable concentrations Among them, we find the following:
As you can see, not only the typical tobacco plant contains nicotine. After all, we are talking about a pesticide and herbicide alkaloid that can provide many benefits to the plant when it comes to surviving in the environment.
A cigarette contains on average 12 milligrams of nicotine, although these values can range from 8 to 20 milligrams As a curious fact, it should be noted that the content of 4 cigarettes (50 mg of nicotine) is capable of ending a man’s life, if the compound is injected intravenously. Therefore, we are not surprised to learn that several serious poisonings have occurred in infants due to directly ingesting the contents of cigarettes.
Actions of nicotine on the body
According to studies, nicotine is a substance with stimulant properties and is responsible for cigarette dependence. The main human brain structures involved in this addiction mechanism are the nucleus accumbens, the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus and the amygdala. This alkaloid produces direct (and indirect) actions on neurotransmitters such as dopamine, acetylcholine, norepinephrine and serotonin.
When a low dose of nicotine is administered to humans, produces a feeling of instant gratification, as endorphins are released in the brain’s reward circuits. As with other drugs, sensations of reward and euphoria are positively correlated with the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which generates the compulsive need to use the drug again.
In addition to these measurable brain effects, nicotine encompasses many more frameworks of action in the human body. Among them, we find the following:
After inhaling tobacco smoke, the concentration of nicotine in the blood increases rapidly and, in less than 20 seconds, it reaches the brain and activates the reward mechanisms previously described. Surprising as it may seem, inhaled through tobacco smoke this alkaloid reaches its destination sooner than if administered intravenously.
Unfortunately, nicotine works as quickly as it disappears. This alkaloid reaches its peak of activity after 10 seconds, so it produces a brief and quick gratification, but mild in nature. For this reason, A smoker requires the consumption of several cigarettes a day to feel completely well and focus your attention on relevant tasks.
When you stop smoking, the neurological catastrophe occurs: continued tobacco consumption causes the secretion of exceptionally low levels of dopamine as nicotine concentrations in the central nervous system are depleted. This, without a doubt, underlies the dangerous bases of dependency that this substance generates.
Physical and psychological addiction
To understand the mechanism of nicotine addiction, it is essential to differentiate the physical from the physiological, although both fronts are widely interconnected.
Physical dependence is that which occurs when symptoms appear a few days/hours after the drug in question has been withdrawn of the patient’s life. Mild clinical signs usually appear 2-3 hours after the last cigarette, reaching a peak 2-3 days later.
Among them we find headaches, tension, anxiety, depression, difficulty concentrating and a strong need to put a cigarette in your mouth It should be noted that physical dependence is largely conditioned by tolerance: the less sensitive the body is to the substance, the more it is needed.
On the other hand, psychological addiction refers to the need for pleasure generated by the substance or, failing that, how it helps the patient cope with their problems. Both events are widely interconnected, as they lead to the same symptoms described above.
Is it difficult to quit smoking?
Any of the readers who have tried (or managed) to quit tobacco will know how to answer this question bluntly. As shocking as it may seem, the chances of becoming dependent on tobacco (28%) are higher than on cannabis (8%) or cocaine (11%). While other drugs are more clearly deleterious in the short term, tobacco kills slowly but unstoppably.
Most smokers try to quit smoking an average of 2 times before finally quitting Furthermore, 25% of those who propose it are not able to last more than 24 hours without putting a cigarette in their mouth. Such is the degree of addiction that more than half of patients who have undergone lung cancer surgery return to smoking at some point in their lives. In these cases, addiction clearly prevails over the desire for life.
Summary
Definitely, We are facing one of the most problematic drugs (if not the most) in today’s society The World Health Organization supports this statement with data that falls like a bucket of cold water: tobacco kills up to 1 in 2 people who consume it.
For all these reasons, lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumor processes worldwide. Of greater concern, this type of cancer is one of the most deadly, since the patient’s survival rate 5 years after diagnosis does not reach 20%. After reading these lines, there is little doubt that starting to use tobacco is one of the worst decisions you can make in life.
