Nicotine pouches are becoming more popular than vapes. While they are a great way to quit tobacco, these little pouches have their own side effects that most people ignore. Using nicotine products without knowing the risks could cause multiple nasty problems.
It’s about time we take away the curtain and give you an A2A on everything about nicotine pouches. We’ve dived deep into all the side effects of nicotine pouches on each part of your body and lifestyle. Hopefully, you’ll make the right decisions with the information.
What Are the Side Effects of Nicotine Pouches?
The main side effects of nicotine pouches include a vasoconstrictor effect on vital organs like the heart, anxiety, depression, brain fog, irritability, mood swings, and weight loss. Most of these effects manifest when you become addicted to nicotine pouches and start overusing them.
It might seem like you won’t be affected, but don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. Nicotine is a very addictive chemical, and you won’t even notice the addiction creeping in if you aren’t careful. Nicotine pouches are used as nicotine replacement therapy for tobacco and should be used for that purpose only.
Side Effects of Nicotine Pouches on Different Body Parts
Nicotine pouches can have multiple side effects on each part of your body. For example, it can affect your heart, even though it is mainly a stimulant. Let’s look at how nicotine pouches affect different body parts.
Side Effects of Nicotine Pouches on the Brain
Nicotine works by affecting your brain and rewiring your neural pathways. It makes you happy, active, and alert in the short term but leads to addiction in the long term. When you withdraw from nicotine, it leads to brain fog, irritability, frustration, anxiety, and depression.
Nicotine addiction can cause anxiety, which hinders your overall mental health and everyday functionality. I’ve personally battled anxiety from withdrawal and excessive nicotine consumption.
Side Effects of Nicotine Pouches on Muscles
Countless studies have concluded that nicotine pouches have no direct effects on muscles. Nicotine is a stimulant, and the perceived impact on muscles is because of mood. Simply put, nicotine affects your likelihood of having good exercise, leading to better muscles.
What we do know is that nicotine has a positive impact on fat loss because it increases the resting metabolism. Since these pouches do not contain a lot of calories, people use pouches like ZYN in keto-friendly diets for better weight loss journeys and muscle definition.
Side Effects of Nicotine Pouches on Heart
Oral nicotine pouches, smokeless tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and everything that contains nicotine as a whole have an obvious side effect on your heart. Nicotine has a vasoconstrictor effect, which thins your arteries and leads to COPD and CVD. The lack of blood flow to vital organs and the build-up of toxins can lead to various heart diseases.
Short-term use of nicotine doesn’t have as much risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, long-term use can cause extensive damage that might take years to heal. Nicotine pouches are much safer compared to cigarettes and other heated smoke products, but their risks are still very real.
Side Effects of Nicotine Pouches on Liver
Nicotine pouches do not contain a lot of toxins which could harm your liver health. Nicotine metabolizes very quickly in your body through different parts, including your liver, skin, and intestines. Nicotine stays in your body for no longer than 2 days, and the by-products wash away very quickly as well.
None of the chemicals in nicotine pouches harm your liver health. However, one research in the NCBI has linked nicotine to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. While it didn’t name nicotine as the main culprit, the research did intricate a higher correlation between an underlying susceptibility to the disease and nicotine users.
Side Effects of Nicotine Pouches on Gums
Nicotine pouches do not contain sugars and other additives, which means they are relatively safe for gums. Top-notch brands like ZYN do not cause gum disease or other problems as long as you use them conservatively. That's why a lot of people suffering from dental problems use nicotine pouches for smoking cessation.
However, nicotine pouches have a vasoconstrictor effect, which could reduce the blood supply to your gums. When you abuse the pouches, this can lead to receding gums. Another side effect is a nicotine burn, which often happens when you use extra-strong nicotine pouches.
Nicotine Pouches and Side Effects on Lifestyle
While the direct health effects of nicotine pouches can’t be discounted, the mood and lifestyle changes they introduce are relatively worse. Hear me out for a few seconds because I’ll walk you down the glum lane of nicotine pouches and lifestyle.
Do Nicotine Pouches Affect Digestion?
Yes, nicotine pouches can affect your digestion by slowing gastric emptying and reducing appetite. According to the Gastric Journal, nicotine is harmful to the gastric mucosa because it inhibits H2-receptor antagonists and decreases gastric mucosal blood flow, secretion, and epidermal growth factor secretion.
These factors change your gut acid content and decrease your gut motility. At the same time, nicotine addiction can trigger your urge to poop. It interacts with the PNS to move the muscles related to your bowels. Long-term nicotine dependence means your bowel movements could become dependent on nicotine intake.
Do Nicotine Pouches Affect Libido?
Yes, nicotine pouches may affect your libido positively in the SHORT TERM. Tobacco product users, in particular, have a higher libido in the short term because of the increased endorphins. However, the long-term health effects of oral nicotine products are mostly negative.
Nicotine in all forms, be it snus, cigarettes, or pouches, has a vasoconstrictor effect. It reduces blood flow by thinning arteries. It means your organs get lower blood and your libido decreases because of the low testosterone levels.
Prolonged use of nicotine products can also cause Erectile Dysfunction (ED) or acute delays. These effects are more pronounced in long-term smokers because cigarettes have a more dire effect on your libido.
Do Nicotine Pouches Affect Your Exercise?
Nicotine pouches have a positive effect on exercise because they are stimulants. Nicotine pouches interact with your nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. This interaction leads to a release of dopamine and serotonin.
These neurochemicals make you more active, alert, and supercharged. You finish your exercise more effectively and gain more value from your workout sessions. However, it is a known fact that nicotine pouches cannot affect muscle growth.
Do Nicotine Pouches Affect Sleep?
Yes, nicotine pouches can affect sleep because they are stimulants. Furthermore, nicotine is an addictive substance that can rewire your brain. Nicotine addiction to pouches like ZYN keeps you up forces because of cravings.
Nicotine reduces the quality of your sleep and reduces the duration of the deep sleep cycle. It means that you get less restorative sleep per night. According to the NCBI, long-term smokers are twice as likely to develop sleep problems compared to non-smokers.
Side Effect Severity Comparison: Are Nicotine Pouches the Worst?
Nicotine pouches are the safest and least harmful form of nicotine. The main reason for this is the lack of smoke and toxins. But not all forms of nicotine have to be heated, and it begs the question, are the others just as bad?
We’ll answer your deepest, darkest questions about nicotine pouches and their side effects compared to other forms of nicotine.
Are Nicotine Pouches Better than Cigarettes? Yes
Nicotine pouches are better than cigarettes because they do not contain the standard toxins. According to a report by the American Cancer Society for Public Health, cigarettes contain over 70 carcinogens, while nicotine pouches do not, making them much safer.
Cigarettes are also one of the main reasons for skin irritation, lung problems, oral cancer, indigestion, gut microbe imbalances, and other nasty issues. Nicotine pouches are just as addictive but don’t have any of the other problems.
Are Nicotine Pouches Better than Vapes? Yes
Yes, using nicotine pouches is better than vaping because they do not contain smoke, glycerin, or other shady, artificial additives. Vapes contain glycerin and vegetable oil, which generates mucus in your bronchi and increases Carbon Monoxide.
According to the CDC, more than 2800 patients of EVALI were admitted to hospitals in February 2020, and 68 of the patients passed away. To date, there have been no fatalities recorded because of nicotine pouches.
Are Nicotine Pouches Better than Snus? Yes
Nicotine pouches are safer than snus because they are tobacco-free. Snus doesn’t have any recorded fatalities, but tobacco can harm your gums. Constant tobacco use is also attributed to dry mouth and other diseases that damage your oral health.
Traditional snus and chewing tobacco can also stain your teeth and change the overall pH of your mouth. Other than that, snus and nicotine pouches have the same risk factor. Overall, if you compare a nicotine pouch like ZYN vs Snus, nicopods will always win.
Are There Any Positive Effects of Nicotine Pouches?
Yes, nicotine pouches have positive effects when you use them correctly. Some of the common benefits of nicotine pouches include:
- Increased Cognition
- More Alertness
- Increased Focus
- Better Mood
- Stronger Motivation
A nicotine buzz feels like a glass of water in a desert. It’s the perfect way to get rid of that extra stress. However, the experience is miles wide and an inch deep.
Nicotine pouches are in no way a superfood that can fix all of the problems in your life. You’ll have to be super careful while using them.
Avoid the Side Effects of Nicotine Pouches
The easiest way to avoid the side effects of nicotine pouches is by avoiding overconsumption. Nicopods, like coffee, are safe when used in moderation. Ideally, you shouldn’t use more than 10 nicotine pouches per day to avoid severe addiction.
Other than that, here are some safe consumption patterns for everyday users:
- Alternate between gums when using nicotine pouches consecutively.
- Rinse your mouth after using the pouches and double down on oral healthcare.
- Avoid using the pouches before bedtime because it can cause sleep problems.
- Do not use the pouches immediately before or after wisdom teeth surgery.
- Only use pouches with nicotine content according to your tolerance to avoid a nicotine overdose.
- Always place the pouches under your upper lip to avoid extra drip and gum damage.
Extreme Avoidance: Quit Nicotine Altogether
The easiest way to avoid the side effects of nicotine is to quit nicotine completely or, at the very least, limit it. The process isn’t easy, especially for people like us, who’ve been using these pouches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Fortunately, there are some ways to make things easier with nicotine free pouches. VELO Zero is a new product with no nicotine for users who want to quit their addictions. With Zero nicotine pouches and the right techniques, you can quit nicotine and heal your body.
Conclusion: Side Effects of Nicotine Pouches
Nicotine pouches have multiple side effects, most of which affect your everyday lifestyle and mood. The biggest side effect of nicotine pouches is dependence, which can severely hamper your day-to-day activities. Extreme cases of nicotine addiction can cause anxiety, depression, and even gut problems.
Nicotine as a chemical has a vasoconstrictor effect, which can reduce blood flow to vital organs. It can cause heart problems and gut microbe imbalances, which affect your health in the long term. To avoid these side effects, you need to learn how to use nicotine pouches properly.
You also need to limit your daily intake and eat good food. Nicotine pouches are the safest option out of all the different forms of nicotine. However, it doesn’t mean anyone should overuse them.
FAQs - Side Effects of Nicotine Pouches
Does nicotine affect hair growth?
Yes, nicotine affects hair growth because it clogs your hair follicles and causes hair loss. Cigarette and vape smoke can also irritate the scalp and cause oxidative damage. Tobacco-free nicotine pouches and nicotine gum are relatively safer for your hair.
Can nicotine pouches cause cancer?
There is no correlation between nicotine pouches and cancer. The extra additives and toxins in different nicotine products cause cancer. With nicotine pouches, you don't have to worry about any extra toxins.
What are the dangers of nicotine pouches?
The biggest danger of nicotine pouches is addiction. Nicotine pouches are very addictive and can easily cause dependence. It changes your mood, digestion, and sleep patterns. These health risks are often associated with overusing nicotine pouches.
Can nicotine pouches cause anxiety or depression?
Yes, nicotine pouches can cause anxiety and depression. When you stop using nicotine pouches, even if it's momentary, nicotine withdrawal symptoms kick in. You feel anxious and depressed because your artificially elevated endorphins start going back to their natural state.
What are the long-term effects of nicotine pouches?
The long-term effects of nicotine pouches include severe nicotine dependence, heart problems, gut microbe imbalances, and oral problems. Long-term nicotine users report brain fog, lethargy, stress, anxiety, and depression when they withdraw from nicotine.
Is nicotine an alternative to cigarettes?
Yes, nicotine pouches are viable alternatives for people who use tobacco, cigarettes, or any other product. Most people use nicotine products like ZYN pouches to quit smoking without feeling withdrawal symptoms.
