<p><span style="color: #333333;">In this "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) episode, Peter and Bob dive deep into nicotine, a complicated and interesting molecule that has effects on both the brain and the body. They analyze the results of the studies that describe nicotine's cognitive benefits and potential for inducing weight loss. They talk about a smoking cessation technique called nicotine replacement therapy and give a full breakdown of the various routes of administration, dosing, and safety. Finally, they explore the fascinating and counterintuitive observation that cigarette smokers are less likely to get a severe case of COVID-19.<br /> <br /> If you're not a subscriber and listening on a podcast player, you'll only be able to hear a preview of the AMA. If you're a subscriber, you can now listen to this full episode on your <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/members/private-podcast-feed/">private RSS feed</a> or on our website at the <a href="http://peterattia.com/ama23">AMA #23 show notes page</a>. If you are not a subscriber, you can learn more about the subscriber benefits <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/">here</a>.<br /> <br /></span><span style="color: #000000;">We discuss:</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br /> <br /></span></p> <ul> <li><span style="color: #000000;">How Peter first became interested in the potential benefits of nicotine [1:15];</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #000000;">Untangling nicotine from tobacco [6:00];</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #000000;">Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for quitting smoking: products, protocols, and a review of the literature [9:30];</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #000000;">The cognitive benefits of nicotine: Overview of the literature [15:50];</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #000000;">Where nicotine has the most positive impact on cognition [30:30];</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #000000;">Possible mechanisms conferring the benefits of nicotine [37:00];</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #000000;">How modafinil and other nootropics compare to nicotine [47:15];</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #000000;">How nicotine may induce weight loss [54:00];</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #000000;">Relationship between smoking and COVID-19: Analyzing the observation that smoking appears protective against COVID-19 [1:01:45];</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #000000;">Breakdown of the various nicotine replacement therapies: route of administration, dosing, and safety [1:11:30];</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #000000;">Concluding thoughts on nicotine: use cases, addictive properties, and more [1:19:45]; and</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #000000;">More.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="color: #000000;">Learn more: <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/">https://peterattiamd.com/</a><br /> <br /> Show notes page for this episode: <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/ama23">https://peterattiamd.com/ama23</a> <br /> <br /> Subscribe to receive exclusive subscriber-only content: <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/">https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/</a><br /> <br /> Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/">https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/</a><br /> <br /> Connect with Peter on <a href="http://Facebook.com/PeterAttiaMD"><u>Faceboo</u></a><u>k</u> | <a href="http://Twitter.com/PeterAttiaMD"><u>Twitter</u></a> | <a href="http://Instagram.com/PeterAttiaMD"><u>Instagram</u></a>.<br /></span></p>
Actionable Insights
1. Quit Smoking for Longevity
If you are a smoker and interested in improving your longevity and health, prioritize smoking cessation as it is the most impactful and fundamental step you can take.
2. Distinguish Nicotine from Tobacco
Understand that nicotine, in isolation, is not identified as a carcinogen by health organizations, unlike the numerous cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke.
3. Utilize NRT for Smoking Cessation
If trying to quit smoking, consider using Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) products like gum, patches, or lozenges, as they can increase your chances of successfully quitting by 50-60% (relative increase).
4. Combine NRT and Wellbutrin
For enhanced effectiveness in smoking cessation, consider combining Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) with Wellbutrin, an antidepressant, as part of a comprehensive strategy.
5. Assess Absolute vs. Relative Risk
When evaluating the effectiveness of health interventions, always ask for the absolute success rate or improvement, not just relative increases, to understand the true impact.
6. Vary Deadlift Exercises
Incorporate variations of deadlifts, such as sumo, standard, and hex bar, into your routine and alternate them to keep your training fresh and effective, as deadlifts are considered a fundamental exercise.
7. Use Long Socks for Deadlifts
Wear long high socks when performing sumo deadlifts to protect your shins from injury, as demonstrated by Peter’s experience of ripping his shins without them.
8. Consider Nicotine for Focus
If considering nicotine for cognitive benefits like sharpening focus, start with very low doses (e.g., 2mg lozenges or pouches) and proceed cautiously, as it can cause nausea and has an addictive nature.
9. Park Nicotine Gum/Lozenges
When using nicotine gum or lozenges, chew it a little to release nicotine, then ‘park’ it in your mouth rather than continuously chewing to avoid nausea.