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<\/p>\nCigarettes are, unarguably, one of the deadliest consumer products ever sold \u2013 killing around 76,000 people a year in the UK and millions worldwide.<\/p>\n
Now, in a startling twist, the very substance that made smoking so addictive is being rebranded as a potential weapon in the fight against ageing.<\/p>\n
A growing number of Silicon \u00adValley \u2018biohackers\u2019 claim that \u00adnicotine \u2013 long demonised as the hook that keeps smokers lighting up \u2013 could actually sharpen the brain, suppress appetite and even help people live longer.<\/p>\n
They are not urging people to smoke. Instead, they argue that when nicotine is stripped away from tobacco and delivered in \u2018clean\u2019 forms such as patches or oral pouches, it becomes something else entirely: a cognitive enhancer, a metabolic stimulant, and a longevity aid.<\/p>\n
As smoking rates fall to historic lows, the market for so-called smoke-free nicotine has surged. Sales of oral nicotine pouches alone hit \u00a3200million last year and are forecast to rise by 45 per cent annually.<\/p>\n
And a new niche is emerging at the more extreme end of the wellness world \u2013 \u2018longevity nicotine\u2019 \u2013 pitched at people who don\u2019t smoke at all, but want to optimise their bodies and minds.<\/p>\n
Critics warn this is a dangerous reframing of an addictive drug with known risks. But proponents insist nicotine has been misunderstood for decades \u2013 and that its association with cigarettes has obscured potential benefits.<\/p>\n
Among those pushing the idea is podcaster and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who runs nicotine pouch brand ALP and describes nicotine as a \u2018life- enhancing, God-given\u2019 \u00adsubstance.<\/p>\n
One of the loudest advocates is health entrepreneur Dave Asprey, who describes himself as the \u2018father of biohacking\u2019 \u2013 a movement devoted to hacking human biology to \u00admaximise performance and extend lifespan.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A growing number of Silicon Valley ‘biohackers’ claim that nicotine in the form of patches or oral pouches could help people live longer<\/p>\n
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One of the loudest advocates is Dave Asprey, who describes himself as the ‘father of biohacking’ and claims his biological age is in his late 30s<\/p>\n
Asprey claims his biological age is in his late 30s, and that tests show his arteries resemble those of a 23-year-old.<\/p>\n
A key part of his routine, he says, is nicotine. For the past five years, he has used around 2mg a day \u2013 one-tenth of the nicotine in a cigarette \u2013 \u00addelivered via a patch.<\/p>\n
Biohackers argue that \u00adnicotine\u2019s reputation has been unfairly tarnished by its delivery system.<\/p>\n
\u2018When I say nicotine, people hear smoking, because the two are so tightly linked,\u2019 says Mr Asprey. \u2018But smoking contains thousands of other compounds that are \u00adharmful. Pharmaceutical-grade nicotine, purified nicotine, is a \u00addifferent thing.\u2019<\/p>\n
There is some scientific basis for nicotine\u2019s cognitive effects \u2013 at least in the short term.<\/p>\n
A 2021 review of 31 studies found that nicotine patches significantly improved attention compared with placebo. Animal studies suggest this is because nicotine binds to acetylcholine receptors in the brain \u2013 part of a neurotransmitter system central to memory and learning.<\/p>\n
Activating these receptors can enhance attention, working memory and sensory processing.<\/p>\n
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Sales of oral nicotine pouches alone hit \u00a3200million last year and are forecast to rise by 45 per cent annually<\/p>\n
\u2018Nicotine\u2019s rapid arrival in the brain activates reward pathways that make people feel pleasure,\u2019 says Adam Taylor, an anatomist at the University of Lancaster. \u2018It also acts on memory pathways, making people more alert and improving working memory, attention and sustained focus.\u2019<\/p>\n
Researchers believe \u00adnicotine could also have longer-term protective effects. A 2018 study analysing data from more than 200,000 people found \u00adsmokers were significantly less likely to develop Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n
Experts suspect nicotine plays a role. One theory is that it binds to receptors involved in dopamine signalling \u2013 a pathway known to be disrupted in Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n
When it comes to ageing itself, however, the evidence is thin.<\/p>\n
One study in mice found daily nicotine doses improved \u2018age-\u00adrelated symptoms\u2019, possibly by stimulating cells involved in DNA repair. But experts urge caution.<\/p>\n
\u2018We know little about the effects of using nicotine for long periods in people who have never smoked,\u2019 says Jasmine Khouja, a psychologist and nicotine researcher at the University of Bath. \u2018Nicotine increases resting heart rate, and some evidence \u00adsuggests long-term exposure may damage the cardiovascular \u00adsystem.\u2019<\/p>\n
Professor Taylor adds that \u00adnicotine\u2019s stimulant effects ripple throughout the body. \u2018They can cause muscle twitches and spasms, palpitations, raised blood pressure and disrupted sleep,\u2019 he says. \u2018These risks are higher in people with existing heart \u00adconditions.\u2019<\/p>\n
Mental health is another \u00adconcern. Smoking is linked to higher rates of depression \u2013 and switching to smoke-free nicotine does not \u00adeliminate that risk entirely.<\/p>\n
\u2018There is no level of nicotine that can be considered low-risk for everyone,\u2019 Dr Khouja says. \u2018The risks vary by individual, and we don\u2019t yet understand them fully.<\/p>\n
\u2018Nicotine products can help \u00adpeople quit smoking. But for non-smokers, any cognitive \u00adbenefits are likely to be short-lived and outweighed by addiction and withdrawal.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cigarettes are, unarguably, one of the deadliest consumer products ever sold \u2013 killing around 76,000 people a year…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":414846,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[97,22669,59,102,61656,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-414845","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-dailymail","9":"tag-fox-news","10":"tag-gb","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-tucker-carlson","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom","15":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=414845"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414845\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/414846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=414845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=414845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=414845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}