We love social media. It allows us to keep up with our friends, the news and the companies we want to get information from. But the influencers can make social media a louder, more confusing place filled with misinformation.
Influencers can have great tips and wonderful hacks. They can also say dangerous things under the guise of health education. Now, health influencers are pushing the addictive stimulant nicotine as a “biohack.”
Many are using oral packs, claiming they are a clean, modern approach to nicotine that helps a person lock in. Tech companies have started stocking vending machines with them to boost worker productivity. Nonsmokers are using the product for everything from weight loss to treating the symptoms of menopause.
Podcaster and Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman uses it to sharpen the mind, while also saying it poses long-term heart and oral health risks. Self-help author Dave Asprey uses nicotine lozenges or patches no more than three times a week. He praises the effects of nicotine on focus but admits that nicotine is an addictive stimulant.
“People don’t fully agree to what extent this nicotine may be addictive,” said neuroscientist Dr. Yuko Hara, director of Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention for the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF). “But I have safety concerns. Similar to caffeine, nicotine impairs sleep, and sleep is very important for brain health. Also, if people are taking other medications, nicotine could interact with them. You want to talk to your doctor or pharmacist to make sure that if you’re going to use nicotine, it’s not interacting with other drugs to cause harmful effects.”
Researchers have been studying nicotine for more than 40 years. It’s confirmed to be an addictive stimulant. Nicotine binds to specific receptors in the brain that aid learning, memory and attention. It also increases dopamine and norepinephrine, the feel-good and alertness chemicals of the brain. The positive feelings the drug causes increase its addictive nature.
Many influencers compare nicotine to caffeine. But Jennifer Folkenroth, American Lung Association’s Sr. Director of Nationwide Health Promotions, said, “Although nicotine and caffeine are both stimulants, the health risks of use between the two are not comparable.” She said nicotine product use is the leading cause of preventable health in the U.S. and kills more than 490,000 people annually.
“Nicotine pouches and nicotine drinks may be marketed as ‘smoke-free,’ however smokeless doesn’t mean harmless,” Ms. Folkenroth said. They can cause addiction, mouth lesions, gum recession, high blood pressure and nicotine poisoning.
If you have considered using nicotine as a biohack, it’s essential to do your own research and not rely on influencers to tell you the best way forward. Influencers exist to influence people, not give them sound medical advice.
