Smoking And Tobacco Use

shepard

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Just looking at tobacco use from a hormonal perspective, it would seem to be favorable from Peat's perspective, no? In chronic users you have decreased prolactin, estrogen, parathyroid, IGF-1, etc. You even see increased thyroid and testosterone in some cases.

Under the Peat paradigm, could one not argue that the unfavorable change in catecholamine concentrations could be offset by pairing it with sugar and that many of the downsides associated with it could be due to increased substrate turnover and induced deficiencies from increased metabolism?

An example review paper:

http://eje-online.org/content/152/4/491.long
 

key

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shepard said:
Just looking at tobacco use from a hormonal perspective, it would seem to be favorable from Peat's perspective, no? In chronic users you have decreased prolactin, estrogen, parathyroid, IGF-1, etc. You even see increased thyroid and testosterone in some cases.

Under the Peat paradigm, could one not argue that the unfavorable change in catecholamine concentrations could be offset by pairing it with sugar and that many of the downsides associated with it could be due to increased substrate turnover and induced deficiencies from increased metabolism?

An example review paper:

http://eje-online.org/content/152/4/491.long

The smoke is estrogenic and has carbon monoxide in it. If everything else is in order probably not that bad depending on how many cigs you smoke.
 
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shepard

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I've seen the quote by Peat about smoke being estrogenic, but I've not seen any evidence for the claim. It's fairly well documented that smoking increases 2-hydroxylation of estradiol in men and women, which would seemingly be a good thing since the metabolites are fairly inactive metabolically other than some antioxidant activity.

The CO side is the big downside I would think. It doesn't seem to have any real benefit from a Peat perspective, but I'm fairly new to all his ideas, so I may be missing something.
 

charlie

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Maybe those electronic cigarettes would be a better choice?
 
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shepard

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Charlie said:
Maybe those electronic cigarettes would be a better choice?

Oddly enough, I don't smoke/dip/chew/etc. I've been looking over the literature on tobacco a bit lately out of curiosity and happened to think that it would seem to fit into this paradigm. I don't know anything about the electronic cigarettes, so I really don't know what is in them.
 

sladerunner69

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Everytime I use tobacco I feel like it is very antagonistic to the cardiovascular system. I've used natural oral chewing tobacco and the taste is immensely strong, it is highly acidic and is painful to touch even with your fingertips, and after a couple uses my chest begins to ache. My extremities also become cold and my vision will go blurry, all symptoms worsen the more tobacco I use. I think nicotine has a deterioration effect on circulation past the CO of smoke, it probably thickens the blood or something. If someone has some further knowlege on this subject please le tme know
 
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There is a lot of evidence for smoking as a benefit but perhaps not just cigarettes. A pipe or cigar doesn't involve much inhalation. It satisfies the transdermal component.
 

NathanK

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I dont think Ray would like this:
circres.ahajournals.org › 631.full.pdf

Effect of Cigarette Smoking and Nicotine on Serum Free Fatty Acids
"The effect of cigarette smoking on serum free fatty acids (FFA) was studied in human subjects. After smoking two cigarettes there "was an average maximal elevation in FFA of 351 /xEq./L. This usually occurred 10 minutes after smoking and, in most instances, there was still some elevation 20 and 40 minutes after smoking. There was essentially no effect on serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. In subjects who "chain-smoked" six cigarettes, all showed a rise in FFA during a 60minute period, one showing a three-fold elevation. The effect of intravenous nicotine on serum FFA was studied in dogs. In 13 of 15 observations there was a rise in FFA. The mean maximal elevation of 166 /xEq./L. occurred after 10 minutes of nicotine infusion. These effects are probably due to sympathetic and adrenal stimulation by nicotine. This results in a rise in circulating catecholamines which rapidly effect a mobilization of FFA from the fat stores in the body."
 

michael94

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Nicotine has a good effect on me, I avoid commercial tobacco products because god knows whats they add in. I'd imagine natural tobacco is more beneficial than harmful. Something about it feels so right
 
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tobacco does cause a speedup of the system, different from coffee. It is definitely a stress, it feels that way to me. But all stress isn't all bad. There are other things to take into account. Thanks for the info NathanK.
 

Blossom

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I've tried some unflavored nicotine mixed with only glycerin in a vaporizer as an alternative to smoking tobacco and find it to be the most benign way for me to use nicotine. I personally just can't tolerate smoking anymore but completely giving up nicotine all together hasn't happened for me yet either. The gum and patch are o.k. but prefer the ability to control my dosage more precisely with the nicotine/glycerin solution. It's more affordable in the long run too. I must give Dan Wich credit here because I decided to try this only after he mentioned the idea in another thread.
 

Stilgar

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I like smoking tobacco occasionally, but I've never been really into it. I have always found it quite stressful on my body afterwards, and not worth the rush. However, I get immediate relief from a stomach irritant/slow digestion from smoking occasionally, because the nicotine hits me more powerfully, I guess. Clears me out. Better than coffee, and better at night than coffee (or thyroid or cascara or anything like that).

Surely there is some credit worthy to that for lowering gut serotonin?
 

bobbybobbob

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If you need a hit of nicotine snuff seams like the way to do it to me. And I don't mean snuss you put in your mouth. A very tiny little sniff into the front of the nose (not up into the nasal cavity). You leave it there for ten minutes and then blow/wipe it out with a tissue.

I do it from rare time to time when working long hours. Vaping or nicotine gum and such make no sense to me when snuff is so cheap.

I imagine most of the stigma is if people see you sniffing something they assume it's cocaine.
 

michael94

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I would think tobacco products closer to cigars would be far preferable to several cigarettes a day. Plus it's a good social thing to do, important to relieve some stress but I'm slightly biased because I've smoked off and on for a few years. Same reason coffee remains a staple for me over caffeine pills ( obviously coffee has other stuff too ).
 

DaveFoster

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Does anyone have any ideas on how to attenuate the FFA response from nicotine? These seems to be the primary downside.
 

Morning Star

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The demonization of tobacco is a smokescreen which obscures and downplays the hazards of reckless industrial processes and environmental degradation, framing it conveniently as a problem of individual weakness. Rates of smoking have declined significantly in western countries with no concomitant reduction in incidences of cancers or a significant increase of lifespan. Rather I would argue that healthy living, non-drug aided lifespan has been dramatically reduced. That we can preserve some semblance of life without dignity and at tremendous cost and effort is no medical marvel or wonder of science, but denotes a fundamental failure of the aims and uses of science. Instead of making houses which don't catch fire, we've invested in our fire department, instead of designing a sound automobile, we require a proliferation of mechanics. A delusional patina of progress an has been spread over our age, where high tech gadgetry distracts and deadens one from economic, social, cultura,l and spiritual decline and senescence. Watch the masses shuffle home to their hovels, (which they don't own) after grueling days labor and flip on their netflix, Worse off by far than their parents. And that's if they're fortunate enough to have work. They haven't progressed an inch since feudalism.
 

Maretch

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I like to smoke, usually about 5 cigs per day, but still think that it is too much. I tried to lower it but i really just can't..
 

mt_dreams

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I like to smoke, usually about 5 cigs per day, but still think that it is too much. I tried to lower it but i really just can't..

People I know who want to stop smoking have had success with decent quality e-liquid vapes. The only particles that are present in the vapes is nicotine & glycerine. It's a lot better than the 1000+ chemicals in cigarettes, not to mention there is no combustion in the vapes. You'll still probably have a minor effect on the throat, but nothing compared to cigarettes. it's a much healthier alternative.
 

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