Nicotine no more harmful than caffeine

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Baditude

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Enjoyed your other posts about the actual benefits of nicotine
Just like the "evil weed" whose banning in the US has been recently lifted, new research is proving that health benefits can be achieved for certain medical conditions when using it. But that's a topic for a different forum. ;)
 

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Recently I was diagnosed with the big Type 2. I tend to geek out and read, read, read whenever my doctor says another old guy affliction is beginning.

Yeah, it's part age part mileage. Of course one of the things reccomended to halt is smoking. The carbon monoxide does all kinds of unfriendly things to happen to the organs over time. Well I checked off all those glucose issue causes like sweets, fatty foods, lack of excersize etc etc. Things got worse, not better.

I'm at the pre-Type 2 stage and since going on good behavior the numbers were getting worse. Still below the threshold most of the time, but insulin resistance seemed to be growing worse. What gives?

Nicotine. I looked up the side effects of nicotine and it seems that studies show a correlation between bouncing glucose and nicotine in many people like me. I behave all day, have good numbers all day but next morning at first check the number suggests one of two things.

I either went into a sugar coma during the night so my body ran up the amount to keep me alive (not likely) or...
My body is confused as to how much sugar to absorb. The tank sends out insulin to feed the cells requesting more. The cells don't recognize it's there and scream for more while resting.

Is nicotine a direct cause? Too soon to tell but it is a contributor. What is whacky is that often times smokers who quit (and didn't already have Type 2) develop Type 2 some 2 to 12 years after stopping. It seems depriving the body of nicotine can contribute to some developing Type 2 down the road.

None of the articles I read at the CDC, Web MD and several other sites mentioned how the person derived their nicotine. Being that vaping is still fairly new I figure they probably didn't take that into consideration.

Not trying to discount this whole 'nicotine is safe' thread. Just pointing out that it seems in some cases nicotine contributes to lack of glucose control issues.
 

Skeebo

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Type 2 diabetes. It would be tough to pin the cause of your continued insulin resistance. I wish I had no experience with it-- my wife has it and it's worrisome. Could it be caused by nicotine, perhaps. Either way it sucks having it. I hope the best for you. My wife neither uses nicotine or alcohol and exercises constantly.... none of this kept her from getting it and it just seems we can't get a handle on it.
 

Baditude

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There are many contributors to Type Two Diabetes. I'm not saying nicotine is or isn't a contributor. Most past studies on nicotine were based on smoking. It's only been more recently that nicotine used alone has been studied.

Being obese or overweight is a major contributor as is one's diet and a sedentary lifestyle. There is likely a genetic contributor if diabetes runs in the family.
 

ScottP

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zoiDman

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DaveP

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I'm retirement age and the Type 2 curse has been threatening for a few years. A1C is still below 7, so exercise and food choices are recommended by my doctor. Exercise is great for lowering blood sugar. Mine will drop from 120 down to the 80s after an hour of medium free weight and machine exercise and a 6 mile stationary bike ride.

30 minutes of walking does about the same, but you might get knocked over by a crazy driver on the street. I like the machines better. Over the years I've accumulated an elliptical bike, a Total Gym, and a weight set. I try to maintain an every other day workout regime. The bike ride gets boring, but I have a TV on the wall across the room.

Staying on topic, the only thing I notice about nicotine is cold fingers in the Winter and a sense of satisfaction that used to be supplied by burning tobacco about 9 years ago!
 

SonnyCooL

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Type 2 diabetes. It would be tough to pin the cause of your continued insulin resistance. I wish I had no experience with it-- my wife has it and it's worrisome. Could it be caused by nicotine, perhaps. Either way it sucks having it. I hope the best for you. My wife neither uses nicotine or alcohol and exercises constantly.... none of this kept her from getting it and it just seems we can't get a handle on it.
i having Type 2 :) my HBA1C is 18 (means i over sugar for past few month), than i give my self a very straight kentosis diet for 18 month (lost 25 kg) and my blood glucose range in normal range (fasting 4.9-5.8) than i start with normal meal, carb, fruit and so on, after 9 month i gain 13kg but blood glucose around 5.8-6.5 range for fasting.
I eat almost everything now but zero intake on artificial or process sugar.
 
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Eskie

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Staying on topic, the only thing I notice about nicotine is cold fingers in the Winter and a sense of satisfaction that used to be supplied by burning tobacco about 9 years ago!

It's important to remember nicotine does cause vasoconstrion and this can be a problem for folks with peripheral vascular disease or coronary artery disease. Small subgroups cannot tolerate any nicotine at all without severe interruption of blood flow particularly the extremities.

In an otherwise healthy person nicotine does not appear to represent much of a health risk. In many who smoke, and who have cardiovascular disease, nicotine without the tar and carbon monoxide is a better choice. Still, whether that group should simply stay on nicotine for years and years isn't well known.

The problem with comparing nicotine to another substance and saying it's no worse can be misleading. Nicotine is significantly better for you than cyanide, which isn't a helpful comparison.

Work regarding nicotine in some diseases is important to note, but also to realize that type of work is more helpful in defining a mechanism to develop new classes of drugs that target similar receptors. For example nicotine in the treatment of Alzheimers would require developing something way better treatment than nicotine alone as there are many, many folks suffering who did or still are smoking. Yes, there are lots of other chemicals in there that likely counteract any benefit nicotine in isolation may possess, but this is all early work and I don't think it's useful to bring that into the conversation with the Antz crowd as they think it's a made up fake data from BT. But showing clear and unambiguous evidence that nicotine by itself is not a health risk in a healthy population is useful at refuting the nonsense they spill out.

I'm not being negative, but as vapers we need to stay responsible because it just takes one case where we overreach and become easy targets to impeach the reliability of. Unfortunately we're judged in the court of public opinion, not a scientific discussion.
 

Baditude

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Are you on Face Book? Calling all Face Book users that vape.

I have a troll who has been disputing and mocking my advocacy posts for e-cigarettes. I'd like to see how many people from this forum who will respond to this person by sharing their thoughts about vaping. I encourage your participation. Thank you in advance. Face Book.
 
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TheTinMan

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Are you on Face Book? Calling all Face Book users that vape.

I have a troll who has been disputing and mocking my advocacy posts for e-cigarettes. I'd like to see how many people from this forum who will respond to this person by sharing their thoughts about vaping. I encourage your participation. Thank you in advance. Face Book.

The Tom guy?
 
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Baditude

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The Tom guy?
Yes. We were close friends in high school. Seems like every time I post a positive article on vaping on FB, he shows up to dispute it. I know I shouldn't care that someone on social media disputes my posts, but it kinda hurts that a so-called friend has taken such a severe stand against my beliefs. I think that I have given a lot to this community and would just like to see some support from my friends on ECF.
 

TheTinMan

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Yes. We were close friends in high school. Seems like every time I post a positive article on vaping, he shows up to dispute it. I know I shouldn't care that someone on social media disputes my posts, but it kinda hurts that a so-called friend has taken such a severe stand against my beliefs. I think that I have given a lot to this community and would just like to see some support from my friends on ECF.

His statement threw me so far off I wouldn’t know where to start. If you are an alcoholic there is no trade off. It is a disease. Whereas smoking tobacco causes disease.

I can leave my vape at home but if I start drinking at home it will following me out the door and through the night.

I really don’t know how to argue his point or which angle to take.

If he pops up again please let me know and I will help if I can but I am at a loss.
 

Jet Knight

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Baditude: I appreciate the info you share in educating many folks out there. I've done the same but results and feedback can be discouraging at times not just in this country but in others too. Still I believe that "repetition" is the "mother of learning", and if I can help, even a few, it is all worth it.
Keep up the good work!
 
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