This clip is from the Huberman Lab episode "Nicotine's Effects on the Brain & Body & How to Quit Smoking or Vaping." The full episode can be found on KZfaq here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/q76jYN2ByJyXm4E.html

Because of this man, 15 of my mates and I literally quit cigarettes and alcohol immediately. Someone protect this man!!!

Been a smoker for 15 years, started smoking more than a pack a day. I decided to quit cold turkey. It's been more than a year since I touched a cigarette. The anxiety I got was something I will never forget. I am happy, and I have more energy and stamina. But I do miss the calm nicotine gave me.

THIS MAN IS GOLD

so keep using Zyn, i like this guy.

I chewed nicotine gum for a while as an appetite suppressor but it seemed to make my anxiety worse. I replaced it with regular gum and enjoy having one less addiction and more peace of mind.

I would go out on my patio with my laptop to get a lot of work done while smoking cigars. I found cigars really helped me stick to my projects, but I stopped because the side effect was I'd be insanely tired from it.

I was really hooked on Zyns for about 2 months. Nicotine for me personally is great for about 5 minutes then my dopamine drops significantly and it leaves me feeling extremely emotionally unstable. I also started feeling extremely nervous overall and started having irregular heart beats. For me personally the best way to increase dopamine with zero side effects are cold plunges

I’ve been looking into this more, I really want to add this to my cognitive stack… but I am also seeing studies about it lowering testosterone and long term effects on memory and learning. I wish Andrew could share what he thinks about it

Gracias por la traducción 🙏

This explains why so many ADHD friends I know are hooked on nicotine. ADHD makes you more impulsive in general. Plus the nicotine has been shown to function like adderall while also having relaxant properties at the same time

I specifically picked up chewing tobacco when I was a driver in the army overseas in combat. Helped me stay focused for hours on end. I left the US with 3 cavities my whole life. I came back with more cavities than I had teeth lol. Quitting wasn’t hard. The first time. The second time I picked up back up, was much harder to quit. I loved the routine and oral fixation. Quit again cold Turkey and have never gone back. I don’t like feeling chained to something. Needing a crutch that was destroying my gums. That being said I’ve seen a lot about Zyn. Makes me curious, but again, I’ve already beat the addiction so not feeling like picking one back up. Good luck bros, it’s a tough life, some folks need this extra bit of juice to make it through. I respect it. It’s just not for me anymore. I microdose mushrooms for my mental health issues. Seems to do the trick.

Thanks for this video. I realize I should've started smoking years ago.

Suffered from what I think to be severe depression which now I think is better. Tried mushrooms ( the chocolate bar type, only had 3.5 grams of shrooms total which I ate 😅) and what happend was special which I won’t share but it did have a lasting effect for me 1 month after I’ve taken it. It basically factory-reset my emotional sensitivity towards anything. Show me a video of a person crying and I will go through the same emotions as that person in that moment.

I’m not even close to quitting it feels like but I am postponing my morning nicotine until after ( not with) my morning coffee. Which I have at least 90 minutes after waking and getting sunlight in my eyes🎉 Ty dr Huberman

I am 69 and I vape. As a young man I smoked and quit many times but once married my wife demanded it. Thank you dear! In my 50s I started smoking on the sly and then switched to vaping. I do enjoy it and when I hike or mountain climb I leave the vape in the car and damn, getting back to the car is fueled by my desire to vape and reload on nicotine. Great motivator in that case. In my late 50s early 60s I worked on a research project and nicotine from vaping kept me focused. Hopefully it doesn’t kill me in the long run.

I started using the nicotine lozenges about 10 years ago to help with dieting. My use gradually increased from 1 tab few times per week to pretty much full day use. Past few years I've noticed reduce enjoyment for the little things. Decreases buzz from things I used to enjoy. I stopped for a week, first few days were a bit rough, not too bad. Then felt more like my old self. Like a lot of artificially dopamine increasing drugs and activities, they seem to be serving you, until they don't. It's hard not too escalate usage. Almost subconscious.

An excellent and extremely informative video. Thank you so much.

i smoked it once yesterday and it felt like it pulled me back to reality

I've read that tobacco inherently has MAOI's that give the relaxing feeling. It acts as an anti-depressant. That's why when you smoke a cigarette, you get a rush and a feeling of relaxation. Anyone who has tried a nicotine only product will tell you there isn't that same relaxing feeling as smoking a cigarette. I think it was Peter Killeen who talked about a lab test on mice that showed it was the combination of nicotine and MAOI that was so addictive. It also makes sense that Bupropion, used as an anti-depressant, helps with easing people off of smoking, since it replaces the anti-depressant properties of the MAOI's in tobacco smoke.

Thank you! 🙂

Hey Huberman, do you do these vids with other drugs with the receptors and brain/body effects? really dug this one thanks

Hey Doc, love your videos! I've always struggled with depression and addiction. Fortunately I was able to put down the booze and hard drugs almost 9 years ago by adding yoga and meditation to my recovery. I actually wound up going back and teaching for the same nonprofit that introduced me to yoga while I was incarcerated. Would you say the mesolimbic reward pathway is responsible for most or all addictions?

Thank you.

Ive been a heavy vaper for 10 years. Really abused it the last 7 years. Quit cold turkey last week. Miserable but so far so good.

as a doc, what was always curious to me during my studies: whenever we had traineeship on psychiatric wards, it was striking how many patients were smokers (much more than in other patient groups), especially on the locked wards, where almost all patients smoked. don't mess with your neurotransmitters, folks!

Do u know anything about facial aging and nicotine? I mean zin packs not smoking or vaping. If yes, would methylene blue counter the effects? Thanks for your time, I really enjoy your youtube videos!

I started smoking cigarettes since my teenage. Got addicted for over 23 years. Cigarettes addiction actually destroyed my life. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Not until a friend recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 8 years totally clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms.

Huberman Lab Ciips on Nictotine, thankyou for this brief but brilliant video on Nicotine and its effects on the brain and nervous system

This makes a lot of sense. Whenever life was really difficult, I would turn to smoking. I used to say, if you see me with a cigarette I'm likely not doing well. The plan was usually just until the cycles of life rebounded which it almost always does. Once the train was back on the tracks, I'd stop smoking. I think I unknowingly used smoking as a self induced prescription for mild form of depression.

If you are trying to free yourself from addiction and it seems harder than you expected, you are not alone. People don’t quit doing something because they ‘want’ to quit. They only quit once their mind is ready to quit. If you would like to start making your mind ready, I can show you the path. Stay strong and keep your chin up.

For me I'v had very very bad Adhd all my life and im 25 now. I quit for 5 months and My adhd came back extremely bad. I felt extremely depressed/ worried all the time. I started vaping again recently and iv felt my symptoms/worries Calm down and im able to think things through. I'm not sure what to do other than try taking medications if I wanna quit vaping.

So then if used in moderation, it can actually be used to benefit one's life with increased metabolism (great for people trying to lose fats) and it's increased dopamine can be used as a motivator for an activity if used around that activity

frikkin loveeeeee snuff dip. Started in college lol. But the risks… I had to quit. I dunno maybe I’ll try it again though or relapse again. Took me a long long time yes. On off on off on off. Finally quit. Though, I still consider myself addicted for life, and in order to try and quit started a habit of telling myself, ‘today, for one day, I will choose to abstain from dip snuff’. But I would never deny how much I loved it no matter how nasty a habit it might be.

This is absolute perfection. I recently enjoyed a similar book, and it was absolute perfection. "Unlocking the Brain's Full Potential" by Alexander Sterling

Tea is also a potent source

The cortical thickness of people that smoke is worse than non-smokers (very thin bones in smokers) and the smokers' ability to heal from surgery (especially orthopedic grafting) is decreased as evidenced by the number of revision surgeries required vs a group of non-smokers or through radiographic examination of subjects. Is there a significant difference in bone health of sublingual nicotine users vs inhaled?

Maybe things work differently for different people. For me personally I use zyn pouches and I just feel really dialed in and complete a lot more work. It also helps me relax and be more stoic as I am normally very aggressive all the time. Im not sure exactly how safe or unsafe they are but I haven’t had bad experiences with it yet. I guess I’ve always been good at quitting addictions but this just seems to be something I don’t really want to quit like caffeine.

Despite the addicts in my lineage, I don't have an addictive nature. I've been using Zyn, as needed, and it works well for me.

What are the effects of smoking in adolescence and the effects later in life? Can adolescencent smoking cause depression later in life? Can safe use of nicotine possibly reverse some of those effects?

Just quit!!! Again!!! Day 6... Coughing up all kinds of shit. It's really wild being hungry in the morning after not being hungry for years... The dopamine reward make sense.. Great video!!!!

My personal experience. I’ve been weaning off HY----e I started 4 days ago trying to zero in my zyn. IM GOING TO SAY IM IMPRESSED.

My $0.02 - life is better when you aren’t addicted or dependent on anything. Life is wildly enjoyable and fulfilling when you cut out bad food, alcohol, tobacco, porn, caffeine and shitty people. I’ve walked both sides of the tracks and being free of it all is life changing.

This is all sounds great…

Cigarette smoke also contains MAOIs (powerful antidepressents) that enhance the dependence-forming characteristics of nicotine. Smokers are also "addicted" to the hand-mouth ritual; oral, olfactory and visual stimuli; and throat hit (not pharmacological). Interesting that you note nicotine's potential impact on weight control and reducing depression/anxiety, while increasing focus and attention. So the question is: Is nicotine itself "bad," or should we focus on how truly bad cigarettes are?

There seems to be a push lately, regarding nicotine as more or less safe. But aren't there risks to the circulatory system, namely cardiovascular arteries? There was some study that concluded short-term nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) had no correlation with CVD risk, but long-term NRT did.

Very well put together 🎉Ty

2:10 I chewed for years and I just can't imagine how this sentence is true. The effect was in under 1 minute. Every time. Without fail. For years. I am very imaginative, but I cannot imagine that being placebo effect of anticipation. Your thoughts?

In uni I aced my papers and tests with nicotine, caffeine and sugar. My brain was lit 🙌🏻 And yes, I know better now.

Motivation.

Good to know, thanks for the video. I quite smoking cigs 26 years ago when I turned 40. Now at 65 I have started vaping and I def feel more motivated, I have lost weight and feel much better in myself as a result.

How are these studies performed. Are they using straight nicotine or cigarettes? Where can we find these studies?

Weird because i started smoking cigs at 13 years. It started making me feel sick at the age of 19 so i quit. Was not hard at all. Nowadays, i smoke cigars and i never felt any addictive urges. I simply enjoyed a good cigar when i want. Could be day, weeks or even months before i got another one.

I have been using Nicotine in a Vaping format for 5 years now, since I was 16 years old. I tried using Zyn pouches, which worked for about 1 month but then they lost their potency, and due to my high tolerance, Zyn Pouches were just too costly for me to justify using daily, because I had to use up to 3 pouches at one time. So I switched to a different brand, Rogue, which has 20 pouches, but those did some damage to my mouth. Eventually I ended becoming a Dual User, of Dipping Tobacco and Vaping, and I still am a Dual User, I think it is worth mentioning that if you are going to try to quit Nicotine, switching the delivery method DOES NOT work for most people and can end up causing a worsening of your dependence, just like it did in my case. If your goal is harm reduction, then fine, Zyn Pouches in my opinion are at least substantially less harmful than Vaping, and they are certainly far less harmful that Cigarette smoking. In my opinion however, Dipping Tobacco is not all that dangerous either so long as you take care of your mouth appropriately, doesn't mean I am recommending it, most people cannot even stomach Dipping Tobacco but I believe its the lesser of evils when put up against a Smokeable form of Nicotine. Point is, if you are trying to quit, then follow the advice of a Health Professional where applicable, switching to something like Zyn will not cause cessation for the vast majority of people because you are still using Nicotine, you are just creating a new form of the Habit, so stop while you are ahead. Being a Dual user is unhealthy both physiologically and financially, take it from me. Especially if you are a younger person watching this video and seeing this comment, stop while you are ahead, I am only 21 years old and this is how quickly it got its hold on me, you are not immune to the addictive effect of Nicotine.

hey doc i was wondering if you could help me understand nicotine replacement pouches i live in canada and the ones that are available to me are called zonic they are like the zyn pouches in the usa my concern is that they say they are food safe and okay to swallow the biproduct of it witch is in your syliva i belive these to be hard on your liver and kidneys what do you think

Been off smokes for a few years now, never thought i would be seeking out a clean source of nicotine for that little boost.

Can you please do one on cigars and effect on health and testosterone in men 🙏🏼

Yeah, I was lucky in a way to grow up with my dad trying to quit cigs for a decade or two and other addicts to harder substances. I'd love to try Zyn and even coke cuz it's around in business, but I've just seen the withdrawal process and it's too risky for me. Everyone's different

I started a few weeks ago with some pills of nicotine. I've never been a smoker or anything. These are 2mg and I take one in the morning once a week with a black coffee and I get a lot of my work done on my laptop. Definitely enjoying it.

I occasionally use a 1mg nicotine spray. But very rarely like one a month.

Interesting views on nicotine. I smoked cigarettes from age 18 to 34. Switched strictly to vaping for 6 years until this past New Year’s Eve (I’m 40 years old.) Now I’m hooked on Zyn pouches. They help me focus very sharply at work. I haven’t had any side effects from them yet. I feel so much better not inhaling anything in my lungs. So I’ll keep doing 6-7 Zyn pouches a day until I feel they are effecting me negatively. If anyone is reading this you CAN quit vaping and smoking. Mental power is the key.

What is your opinion on Snus? Particularly tabacco free Snus. Thank you.

Cold plunges and wild swims are hard to beat it terms of making you feel fully alive.

can anybody tell me why the increase of metabolism leads to decreased hunger? or there is no connection between hunger and metabolism

Sounds great how do i get some

Hm, never had a problem quitting nicotine gum when using it on and off for studying. Caffeine on the other hand feels impossible to quit...

Hi doc, can you talk about nicotine pouches?

1 liter of pure Nic otine costs a little over $200. Make your own lozenges or use a couple of drops in inhaler. It's clean compared to what is sold in stores

Dr. Huber what about if you have had cardiovascular issues before. Is nicorrette gum safe?

nice, so its not a bad idea to start smoking after all... will buy my first pack today. funny how the media wants you to believe smoking is bad when its the opposite, thanks for the knowledge

Zyn for the win!!

I was smoking american spirit ciggarettes for a few months. I quit cold turkey and used zyn to help me get off it.

The glycerol in vapes is converted to lactic acid in your body, it would seem that this could be the reason my muscles feel like they ache for a longer period of time after my workouts throughout the week as opposed to not using a vape at all.

Find what works for you and just cycle it. Caffeine, modafinil, nicotine, etc. I keep doses very low to get minimal effective dose. Cyclone will allow it to clear your system, and avoid dependence physically and psychologically with most things. I do 3mg pouches and if I start feeling that I need more, I'll cycle off a day or two. Same with caffeine and modafinil. Not all of.them at once.

For me it's the reverse that happens everytime I puff. It drains me of energy right after I take my first puff in the morning. And then I keep on smoking throughout the day and feel more breathless, more anxious, more defocused.

I read a Harvard study from 2015 that concluded they could not see any addiction at all after giving it to lab mammals. Another report I read obtained through freedom of information act info from tobacco product manufacturers and that they knew this and had to add a chemical called pyrazine in order to make nicotine addictive. Apparently nicotine is found in many vegetables such as egg plant, tomatoes especially green, cauliflower, celery plus many others.

I stopped smoking in 1990, I am 52 now

Any thoughts on Anxiety leading to dementia. If Im not mistaken smoking is a major cause of anxiety. Vascular disease also seems to be an indicator for dementia as well as a side effect of smoking. Dementia is not something you want to strive for.

Started using the pouches been clean from cigarettes and vapes for 3 months now not only have i saved a good bit of money but i feel better overall , i ised to have to smoke at least 2 cigarettes before bed in order to fall asleep

Are there harmful impacts from using nicotine pouches in the mouth like Zyn? Thinking in regards to how dip can be cancerous but these pouches are more contained like pillows.

I wonder what the connection between the nicotine in blunts mixed with weed is ?

i took nicotine gum but i got anxiety and sleep apnea due to it, when is best time to take nicotine

Does anyone know if he has a video of 'patches and ME/CFS, does it help parasympathetic/ dampen down sympathetic nervous system!!!

Should I wait 2 hours for my cig too?

The weird thing is, if I have nicotine it completely wipes out my energy levels, desire to exercise, and causes pain to increase. I feel like I get maybe a slight sense of relief or euphoria but at the same time makes my anxiety that much easier to trigger. I've been avoiding most of the time because it hurts my performance rather than helps

Wish you would’ve mentioned the cons as well. Maybe next time

Hi I vaped for the first time two weeks ago. Bought a vaping device , put liquid in that contained small amounts of nicotine. After vaping my throat started to feel sore. I then developed throat inflammation / infection, and with catarrh gathering in the throat. 2 weeks later i still have the throat soreness. Anyone know why that is and why it happened ? I didnt vape heavily Has anyone had similar experiences ? And how to cure this problem ?

How would you categorize smoking cigars, is there positive effects in your experience? I think it helps with a mental reset to some degree, from my perspective it seems that smoking a cigar is no worse than inhaling smoke from a barbecue or sitting by a campfire.

So if we dont smoke is it beneficial or negative to use nicotine? Do the benefit outweigh the negative affects?

its been 3 years since I quit smoking for nicotine pouches. I want to quit but its too damn good

I don’t know if I should stop because I feel fine and I don’t get nicotine withdrawals or anything like that when I go a week randomly but I do the FRE nicotine pouches 12 mg and I put about Eight of them in my mouth at once because I like the buzz makes my music sound better when I’m working but I don’t know if it’s really bad for me because sometimes I forget to buy it or whatever and I don’t get any weird withdrawal symptoms I feel totally fine

Where does cigars come into play? And might it be more of a better option when taking nicotine?

How does Dr Huberman use nicotine? When I smoked it would help me be more social. I'm a introvert and have social anxiety but nicotine would help.

How did you take these mushrooms and where did you get them? 😊

@HubermanLabClips I'm using nicotine gum for better memory while studying or doing job that's requires more focus at a time... By the way I'm not smoker or tabacco addict actually, I have no addiction.... Should I continue consuming nicotine gum for more focus in study and work...

i have got a curious case of mine.. i have npt smoked for 3 years and also have left nicotine ..but usually after 2 months or so i take a pack of nicotine pouch and finish it in 2 to 3 days then go another 2 to 3 months without nicotine at all ..has anyone got same situation as me

What about the effects of Pyrizene effects???

A someone who's never used nicotine (with tobacco or otherwise) the positive impacts it may have on the brain are very intriguing, I would just hate the idea of becoming most likely addicted to any habit however.

If I can ask I have heard that nicotine can put tinnitus in remission? Not smoking but nicotine in gum or lozenges

Hi guys 👋 Is nicotine gum beneficial and safe to use in moderation ?