How the pro-nicotine ‘wellness’ movement rebranded an addictive drug

The article describes a growing trend where nicotine is being marketed as a wellness and performance-enhancing product, particularly in the United States under movements like 'Make America Healthy Again.' Influencers, wellness personalities, and tech startups portray nicotine as a misunderstood compound that can improve focus, cognitive function, and even protect against cognitive decline. This rebranding focuses on noncombustible nicotine products such as nicotine pouches, often combined with caffeine or nootropics—substances marketed to boost brain function. The trend contrasts sharply with nicotine’s historical association with tobacco addiction and smoking-related diseases.

While nicotine is a naturally occurring compound found in tobacco and trace amounts in vegetables like tomatoes and eggplants, its health risks are primarily linked to tobacco combustion. Burning tobacco produces thousands of toxic substances, including carcinogens, carbon monoxide, and fine particulate matter, which cause diseases such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease, and other smoking-related illnesses. Decades of public health efforts have reduced smoking rates by raising awareness of these dangers. However, nicotine itself, even in noncombustible forms, has well-documented negative effects on the brain and body.

Nicotine acts on the brain’s nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which normally respond to acetylcholine—a neurotransmitter involved in attention, learning, and memory. Nicotine temporarily increases alertness and arousal by mimicking acetylcholine, but its effects last longer and alter brain activity more broadly. Over time, the brain adapts to nicotine by increasing the number of receptors, leading to dependence. Nicotine also triggers the sympathetic nervous system, the body’s 'fight or flight' response, raising heart rate, blood pressure, and disrupting sleep. Prenatal and adolescent exposure to nicotine is particularly concerning, as it can harm fetal development and alter neural systems linked to addiction and learning.

Wellness influencers claim nicotine enhances focus, productivity, and cognitive performance, but evidence is limited. Some studies suggest nicotine may temporarily improve attention, reaction time, and working memory, especially in people with mild cognitive impairment. However, results are inconsistent, and nicotine does not enhance cognition in healthy individuals. In fact, it may worsen performance in higher-functioning people. Many studies involve regular nicotine users, whose improvements upon nicotine use may simply reflect relief from withdrawal symptoms rather than true cognitive enhancement. Nicotine does not meaningfully improve academic achievement, intelligence, creativity, or workplace productivity.

Nicotine is often promoted as a tool for stress relief and mood improvement due to its temporary activation of brain reward pathways, which can create a sense of pleasure. However, long-term nicotine use disrupts the body’s stress-response system, potentially making stress and anxiety harder to manage. Research shows that quitting smoking leads to reductions in anxiety, depression, and stress over time, along with improvements in mood and quality of life. While nicotine may provide short-term subjective relief, there is no evidence it effectively reduces stress or treats anxiety and depression in the long term.

Some wellness advocates claim nicotine protects against dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and age-related cognitive decline. These claims are based on laboratory and animal studies showing nicotine’s effects on neural pathways and cellular processes related to memory and inflammation. However, human studies have not demonstrated that nicotine prevents dementia, slows Alzheimer’s progression, or improves outcomes in Parkinson’s disease. Similarly, claims that nicotine promotes healthy aging or extends lifespan lack evidence in humans. While nicotine may influence certain biological pathways in lab settings, these findings have not translated to real-world benefits for human health or longevity.