Nicotine patch and weight loss
It is the MAOI in tobacco that leads to the addiction, so persons taking nicotine who are not exposed to monoamine oxidase inhibitors do not necessarily suffer addiction and withdrawal from the substance. I would never encourage the use of caffeine or nicotine patches specifically for the goal of weight loss but if you are using nicotine patches to help you quit smoking or if you are having your daily cup or two of coffee they can have a small effect on weight loss. An interesting one is whether nicotine aids in weight loss. There are some studies indicate smokers may lose weight. So basically, you have a drug that raises your metabolic rate while suppressing your appetite. But they also seem to help with increasing metabolic rate by up to 10 percent as well as helping to reduce appetite. It is a stimulant that causes the release of epinephrine (adrenaline). Limited studies have been conducted relating weight and nicotine use, in part because of the perception that nicotine is addictive. Studies have shown that nicotine—in the form of patches and gum, NOT in the form of cigarettes—when combined with a modest dose of caffeine (as in 2 cups of coffee) can help reduce weight of those who use it. While cigarettes are bullets to your lungs, they do seem to help people control weight—possibly, in part, through the destruction of taste buds. Discuss this option with your doctor, who will need to write a prescription. Caffeine will raise your metabolic rate just a tad to burn more calories.
Also, one of the side effects of nicotine, especially at higher doses, is appetite suppression and nausea. This increases heart rate, blood pressure and respiration and also produces higher blood glucose levels. Combine the two if you reach a hump period in your weight-loss program—and they can act as that crutch that will help keep your mind—and waist—in the right direction. Well, the chances of my offering up cigarettes as a waist-control method are roughly the same as the 8-track tape making a comeback. However, users do develop a physiological tolerance to nicotine, so it might be expected that, as with other stimulants, weight loss from nicotine use would be most successful over a short term, losing effectiveness with chronic use. I get a lot of health-related questions about chemicals. Artificial cigarette and nicotine pills and chewing gums used in smoking treatment may also reduce your appetite and cause weight loss. This simply means you burn a few more calories than you normally would in the same time frame doing the same things. The simple fact is both caffeine and nicotine are stimulants. What this means is that they increase your metabolic rate for a period of time.
