Health Benefits of (Nicotine, PG, and VG)

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Let's look at what's in most e-liquid:

• Nicotine- Natural anti-inflammatory and reduces risk for developing Alzheimer's disease & Parkinsons
• PG- Air sanitizer/germicide properties that could help keep you from getting sick
• VG- Typically used by itself; however, there is potential for it's use as a solivent to extract vitamins (I am not endorsing doing this)

My Advice- Stay away from devices where solder joints contact the e-liquid & be careful when deciding which types of wicks to use.

To Moderators: I am only discussing the raw products, I am not stating any health benefits for using e-cigarettes.

Vape On!

 

[ScottP]

Nicotine also helps prevent something with the colon but I forget what it was. I have seen it posted here on ECF before though.
PG has been used in pharmaceutical inhalers since the 1950's with no known problems from inhaling it.

 

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ulcerative colitis?

 

[scalewiz]

Nicotine...safest anti-depressant on the market.

 

[RickAppling]

I did a little googling on this and it seems that if not for nicotine's bad reputation it might be called a miracle drug.

 

[Hotwire]

Nicotine has both therapeutic, potential and as yet determined therapeutic applications but also negative ones.

It is a vassocinstrictor, makes your heart beat faster and increaes blood pressure and also interestingly due to it's large impact on the brains pleasure / reward system, hitting dopamine, norepineprhine and many other receptors - increases potentiality for addictive tendencies and an increase in reward pathway sensitivity.

It's not some safe wonder drug which will protect everyone from alzheimers and depression etc.

They are looking into it as a potential med for OCD, Adhd and depression due to it's stimulant effects but very early stages and no conclusion has been arrived at yet.

I'm bipolar2 and can definitely say it has an anti depressant effect but can if I'm not aware (like if drunk) lead me towards hypomania. I can attest also that it has another sort of anti depressant effect in that somehow the stimulation makes me less socially introverted and gives me more energy to socialize and socialize better than usual, a feeling I once experienced when on a low dose of an ssri. It also has one MAJOR THERAPEUTIC APPLICATION - it stops me smoking analogues!!! Also if feeling impatient in a social situation, like a low level of ssri (which I do not take and have not for many years) it helps me concentrate on something else (vaping) and feel calmer and then after the vape session more at ease in the social situation.

I will be personally interested to see how research into therapeutic research as a medication for mild - moderate depression, adhd and OCD goes and what results it yields.

With adhd nicotine has to be safer than the amphetamines they currently use. In depression way less side effects than ssri's and the same for OCD meds.

But let's not pretend that it doesn't raise blood pressure, is a cns stimulant, is addictive and through the way it works on the brains pleasure . reward pathways can make people more susceptible to other addictions.

All that said - it's still much better than smoking so while I see it as a habit / addiction - I see it as MAJOR harm reduction as I am someone who is always going to need a habit, so I find this one leaves me feeling a million times more healthy than when I smoke analogues.

 

[Dirty Toe]

They are looking into it as a potential med for OCD, Adhd and depression due to it's stimulant effects but very early stages and no conclusion has been arrived at yet.

In depression way less side effects than ssri's and the same for OCD meds.

I have OCD. Numbers/counting
I'll definitely be Googling for more info about this.

 

[Hotwire]

^^

Wiki nicotine - good place to start.

 

[DC2]

Nicotine- Natural anti-inflammatory and reduces risk for developing Alzheimer's disease & Parkinsons

You left out the fact that nicotine improves memory, concentration, and attention, even in non-smokers.
That's why the World Anti-Doping Agency is considering putting nicotine on their list of banned substances as a performance enhancer.

It's not some safe wonder drug which will protect everyone from alzheimers and depression etc.

Why do you say that as if you know it to be fact?
From what I've read, there is no reason to make such a statement at this time.

But there are plenty of indications that it may very well protect a person from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
And it seems to be somewhat accepted that at the very least it will help improve memory in people who already have those diseases.

 

[jerzi]

But there are plenty of indications that it may very well protect a person from Alzheimer's

There goes my plan of getting married

 

[Hotwire]

Nicotine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nicotine increases blood pressure and heart rate in humans^[59]. Nicotine can also induce potentially atherogenic genes in human coronary artery endothelial cells.^[60] Microvascular injury can result through its action on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs).^[61]
A study on rats showed that nicotine exposure abolishes the beneficial and protective effects of estrogen on the hippocampus,^[62] an estrogen-sensitive region of the brain involved in memory formation and retention.

Historically, nicotine has not been regarded as a carcinogen and the IARC has not evaluated nicotine in its standalone form or assigned it to an official carcinogen group. While no epidemiological evidence supports that nicotine alone acts as a carcinogen in the formation of human cancer (on the contrary, a mechanism of urinary excretion of nicotine metabolites was identified as the link between smoking and bladder cancer ^[72]), research over the last decade has identified nicotine's carcinogenic potential in animal models and cell culture.^[73][74] Nicotine has been noted to directly cause cancer through a number of different mechanisms such as the activation of MAP Kinases.^[75] Indirectly, nicotine increases cholinergic signalling (and adrenergic signalling in the case of colon cancer^[76]), thereby impeding apoptosis (programmed cell death), promoting tumor growth, and activating growth factors and cellular mitogenic factors such as 5-LOX, and EGF. Nicotine also promotes cancer growth by stimulating angiogenesis andneovascularization.^[77][78] In one study, nicotine administered to mice with tumors caused increases in tumor size (twofold increase), metastasis (nine-fold increase), and tumor recurrence (threefold increase).^[79]

The teratogenic properties of nicotine has been investigated. According to a study of ca. 77,000 pregnant women in Denmark^{[citation needed]}, women who used nicotine gum and patches during the early stages of pregnancy were found to face an increased risk of having babies with birth defects. The study showed that women who used nicotine-replacement therapy in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy had a 60% greater risk of having babies with birth defects compared to women who were non-smokers.

Tobacco smoke has been shown to contain compounds capable of inhibiting monoamine oxidase, which is responsible for the degradation of dopamine in the human brain. When dopamine is broken down by MAO-B, neurotoxic by-products are formed, possibly contributing to Parkinson's and Alzheimers disease.^[91]
Many such papers regarding Alzheimer's disease^[92] and Parkinson's Disease^[93] have been published. While tobacco smoking is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease,^[94] there is evidence that nicotine itself has the potential to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease.^[95] Nicotine has been shown to delay the onset of Parkinson's disease in studies involving monkeys and humans.^[96][97][98] A study has shown a protective effect of nicotine itself on neurons due to nicotine activation of α7-nAChR and the PI3K/Akt pathway which inhibits apoptosis-inducing factor release and mitochondrial translocation, cytochrome c release and caspase 3 activation.^[99]

It ain't cut and dry yet on Alzheimer's.

The relationship between smoking and inflammatory bowel disease has been firmly established,

Look I love vaping, but I don't agree with self deceit. No offense meant, just objective facts. Nicotine has some potential - not yet confirmed - therapeutic applications and has several negative health effects also.

I view vaping as harm reduction not as completely harmLESS.

 

[jerzi]

The teratogenic properties of nicotine has been investigated. According to a study of ca. 77,000 pregnant women in Denmark[citation needed], women who used nicotine gum and patches during the early stages of pregnancy were found to face an increased risk of having babies with birth defects. The study showed that women who used nicotine-replacement therapy in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy had a 60% greater risk of having babies with birth defects compared to women who were non-smokers.

I view vaping as harm reduction not as completely harmLESS.

You left this part out:

There were 20,603 births among smoking mothers and 56,165 among non-smokers. Among the non-smokers were 250 ex-smokers using nicotine substitutes.But the study found that smokers did not have a higher rate of birth defects than non-smokers, with about 5 per cent of babies in both groups having some kind of congenital deformity. This may be because smoking raises the risk of miscarriage, meaning more babies may die in the womb rather than be born with defects.

Among the 250 non-smokers using nicotine replacement, 19 were born with birth defects - 7.6 per cent.

You can't give an ex-smoker who has probably damaged their body quite badly and put them on nicotine substitutes and say "Hey, it must be from the nicotine" instead of the 20 years you have been smoking or say "Hey, maybe these babies were just miscarried by the smokers" that's why it looks the same in birth defects. They are counting ex-smokers as non-smokers in this report also. You definately can not compare 250 ex-smokers using nicotine replacement against over 56,000 non smokers to get an accurate result.

It's very interesting how things get spun when people post things on certain sites leaving out information and data.

One more thing, you can't use animals for human study, as results can vastly differ.



In a trial of NRT in pregnancy, babies born to women in the nicotine treatment group had significantly higher birth weights than those in the placebo group (mean difference 186 g) This again may indicate that other factors than nicotine (e.g. CO or effects on the placenta) may be responsible for the growth ......ation seen in children of smoking mothers, but also that the levels of nicotine is likely to be of vital importance for possible adverse effects. It has been thought that the main effect of nicotine on gestational parameters is caused by a vasoconstriction of uteroplacental blood vessels, leading to a reduced blood flow to the placenta and a subsequent reduction in the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to fetus. However, studies of blood flow in humans have failed to demonstrate a correlation between such a uteroplacental insufficiency and fetal growth ......ation, except when blood flow is severely compromised.

 

[Myk]

But let's not pretend that it doesn't raise blood pressure, is a cns stimulant, is addictive and through the way it works on the brains pleasure . reward pathways can make people more susceptible to other addictions.

I sure don't pretend anything.
But when I compare nicotine to my present and possible future Ulcerative Colitis options it's definitely no worse.

Mesalamine, blood disorders, increased heart rate (I think I have that), kidney dysfunction, pancreatitis and bleeding (definitely have that).
Long term steroid use, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack, liver cancer, dependency (and we're not just taking addiction here), Cushing's, glaucoma, osteoporosis.
Immunosuppresants, immunodeficiency, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, ulcers, liver and kidney damage.
Biologics, infection, lymphoma, tuberculosis, congestive heart failure.

Actively flaring UC itself increases the risk of colon cancer.

With threats like that in my present and future, threats of "carcinogenic potential", blood pressure and heart rate increase aren't a big threat.
There is no cure. I'm playing a game of what will kill me slower or to use up my allotment of something until it just starts to kill me.
I was almost off nicotine when I was diagnosed. I was probably in a flare when I went on ecigs but started bleeding worse when I cut nicotine way down. While I waited for all the tests I stayed at 5mg/0mg in case it was Crohn's. I didn't want to go back on nicotine but going back on it when the problem got bad when I cut it seemed like the logical thing. Especially considering they originally threatened me with a concoction of mesalamine, steroids and immunosuppresants.

I can't help but notice you bolded "carcinogen" out of a sentence that says "has NOT been regarded as a carcinogen".

And of course, "The relationship between smoking and inflammatory bowel disease has been firmly established," is that relationship is that it helps Ulcerative Colitis but makes Crohn's Disease worse.
Considering the other options nicotine is well worth the risks, especially for a former smoker who got worse after cutting nicotine.

 

[Hotwire]

All the defensiveness.

All I said was let's be honest what is is and is not.

It is an addictive stimulant with real health risks and as yet non confirmed potential therapeutic applications in some areas.

Fact. Done. No moral judgement proffered.

Vape on.

 

[jerzi]

All the defensiveness.

All I said was let's be honest what is is and is not.

It is an addictive stimulant with real health risks and as yet non confirmed potential therapeutic applications in some areas.

Fact. Done. No moral judgement proffered.

Vape on.

You said you don't agree with self deceit and wanted us to be honest, but your post was far from honest with incorrect facts and missing data. Everything has a health risk, even the water we drink to keep us alive, it's all about moderation and having an understanding of what that is. I wasn't being defensive, just not allowing untrue statements, be posted as fact.

 

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All the defensiveness.
It is an addictive stimulant with real health risks and as yet non confirmed potential therapeutic applications in some areas.

Alcohol also used to be viewed in the same light, but there are benefits to Alcohol as well.

Sorry to burst your bubble nicotine has been proven to improve attention, memory, and mental processing.
Nicotine has been shown in studies to help reduce changes of getting Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s. Studies on Nicotine being used to treat Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s were inconclusive.

 

[DC2]

It is an addictive stimulant with real health risks and as yet non confirmed potential therapeutic applications in some areas.

Fact. Done. No moral judgement proffered.

There is a 30-year history of snus use in Sweden, and many long-term studies regarding snus use.
In other words, there is a plenty of data on nicotine use when that nicotine is removed from the inhalation of products of combustion.

Smokers that switch to products like snus have no higher rates of smoking-related diseases than former smokers that gave up all use of products that contain nicotine.
That includes cancer, respiratory diseases, and heart diseases.

In fact, as far as I know there have been no known significant health risks discovered in the population of those who use snus regularly.
So while some studies may show that test tubes and rats might have a possible health risk, it has not been shown to be true in the real world thus far.

I would therefore argue that the potential benefits are possibly more proven than the potential health risks.
And I do not find your statement to be fact.


These are the only health risks I am willing to grant at this time...
-A potential for increased risk of birth defects in women using nicotine while pregnant
-The possibility that already existing tumors may grow faster
-Stimulants in general may not be good for you if you have certain heart problems

 

[Myk]

All the defensiveness.

All I said was let's be honest what is is and is not.

It is an addictive stimulant with real health risks and as yet non confirmed potential therapeutic applications in some areas.

Fact. Done. No moral judgement proffered.

Vape on.

Here's the problem. Addiction is not a big deal when you consider that Parkinson's and Alzheimers ends up killing you.

The same hand waving "but it's addictive" was used by ANTZ to keep a nicotine pill to treat UC from coming to market. Which one of those UC treatments on the market sound better than nicotine addiction to you?

Personally I don't find nicotine to be that hard to kick. The bigger problem was the cigarettes. When I quit cigarettes for a pipe I still had the desire to light up a cigarette right after putting a bowel down in spite of being in nicotine OD. Ecigs mimicking smoking helped that some but I still had to push nicotine OD and chain vape. If it was just nicotine once you hit the OD stage you'd be good to go.

 

[Hotwire]

Tell it to my Aunt and Grandfather that got Alzheimers and smoked. The benefits on that are not 100% agreed on in the medical community at all and some studies link smoking to INCREASED risk of it, note I said smoking.

Alcohol has extremely limited health benefits and only in extreme moderation.

Come on guys, some honesty here.

Nicotine is linked to gastrointestinal problems and heart problems, joint pain, muscle tremors, Bronciospasm, increased blood clotting tendency, coronary artery constriction, thacycardia, arrhythmia, and increased or decreased heart rate and that is all by itself not through cigarettes (which is worse) and increased tendency towards addiction when it comes to other substances and or activities.

Just fact. I like vaping, see it as massive harm reduction and am finding it odd that I can't just state medical facts without people getting their panties in a twist.

If you think you can dispute the health risks in my third paragraph and can provide and prove evidence I will consider myself blown away and in fact to perhaps living in a parallel universe!

All the other stuff is just your personal antedotes, not researched and concluded medical facts and nicotine IS an extremely addictive chemical. Have you quit vaping myk or is it just that your vaping patterns are not the same as you smoking patterns - I agree more addcitive due tot he MAOI's - ? If you're still vaping you can tell yourself it's because you want to mimic smoking, need the feel of the vape in your throat, puffing out a cloud - whatever, that is just your dopaminic reward system at work making you like those things so you still keep giving it the stim hit it wants.

So their is what happens at a brain level and then what you percieve to happen at a mind level. Brain of course being the seat of the mind.



I'm not against vaping!

Cheers!

 

[Myk]

Actually a lot of your claims are based on cigarette smoking studies and not nicotine studies.
You may not be anti-vaping but you are blindly believing what Anti-Nicotine and Tobacco Zealots (ANTZ) preach. All your stuff is ANTZ propaganda with no real science to back it up because the science they use is about cigarettes not nicotine they're spinning them as one and the same.
You are believing people who blocked a treatment that has the potential to at least improve the quality of my life because it would be nicotine addiction yet they'd be happy to have me in a hospital bed pushing a button for more morphine.

I would say my parents have Alzheimers and my father needed brain surgery for Parkinson's. Both of them were smokers, my mother heavy. But both were also pushed to quit and did without any nicotine therapy.

No I haven't quit vaping. I cut my nicotine to 5mg part time and 0mg part time. I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis that was in a flare when I quit cigarettes and got worse as I cut nicotine. Once I got my final diagnosis I increased my nicotine to 18mg because nicotine helps UC. Had I been diagnosed with Crohn's I would've cut out the 5mg as was my original plan. Haven't you been reading?

I am vaping nicotine because I don't want to crap out of a tube sticking out of my belly and leak digestive juices on my skin, I'd rather be addicted to nicotine.

In my experience nicotine addiction has nothing to do with getting addicted to other substances. I've been on Xanax for 8 years. I've been addicted to nicotine for about 36 years. I've taken Xanax daily for weeks and cut back to once a week or once a month or less without any problem. I've never had any urge to increase my dose as a habit, and no urge to take it as a habit. My average use comes out to be 30 pills of the lowest dose lasts me 2 years. I talked to my doctor about addiction and he doesn't think there is much of a risk for me.
I have had problems with getting addicted to codeine easily after surgeries, which kind of freaks me out when I get it prescribed because I'm not sure I can trust myself. The last time I was given it I hardly took any of them for the tooth and the 10 pills I had lasted me over a year taking them for neck pain and migraines after Gastro cut me off of Advil.
If anything my addiction to nicotine has me anti-addiction. I don't need another monkey on my back and if it made medical sense for me to not be on nicotine I wouldn't be.

ESC | About the ESC | ESC Press Office | ESC Press Releases | Electronic cigarettes do not damage the heart

Long-term effects of inhaled nicotine. [Life Sci. 1996] - PubMed - NCBI

http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/eserv/UQ:13766/gartner_lancetpreprint.pdf

"nicotine itself is not especially hazardous"
Harm reduction in nicotine addiction | Royal College of Physicians

I don't know why I have to post this again but,

Nicotine treatment for ulcerative colitis