Smoking is... good?

[Search]

I forget to ask. Timey, have you tried to smoke another brand of cigarettes from store? And if so, do you have the similar effect as from the organic tobacco?

You know, its weird. Organic tobacco gives me a strange feeling that is almost like a stitch on the right side of my chest. But I think this is because I smoke for the sake of smoking with it. "Regular" cigarettes eventually begin to make my lungs feel heavy.
I think the problem with me is that I smoke when I don't need to. A smoke after a meal is very beneficial for me, as I cannot concentrate with food on the stomach, and the nicotine helps it settle, allowing me to get on with stuff. Similarly, if I have a lot of work to do, or have a busy day, cigarettes can help me concentrate. This is the same when I am tired. But, unfortunately, I have problems with self control. So I smoke when I don't need to; sometimes I chain smoke for no reason other than being "bored". Other times, if I smoke for the sake of smoking, it messes with my thinking, and sends me all skewif, and other times it makes me anxious, sending me stumbling all over my words. Smoking really is a double-edged sword with me, but it ultimately comes down to my own self-control and the situation.

I know a lot of smokers who smoke when they don’t really need to. I think psychology has its own term on this subject, but I don’t remember it. They smoke when they wake up, ‘they eyes are still almost close’ but the cigarette is in their mouth . They are in the habit of smoking after meal, when they go out of the house for a walk or to go somwhere, waiting for a bus and so on, even if they smoke a few minutes before. i have the same habits from time to tome. ( If you don’t get what I’m trying to say, ask)
I noticed that after I switched to hand-rolled cigarettes I do not have a powerful desire to smoke immediately when I woke up. I find it hard to get up in the morning. At least an hour needs to pass until my brain start working. I find it easier to work in the evening, I feel the energy income. But the cigarette in the morning really helps me to wake up faster, it seems that cig switches on my brain .
Also, a cigarette helps me to concentrate. When I smoke I feel some sort of shell around my head or my brain. When I get nervous it helps me to calm down; I think about the reason that make me nervous, about why it makes me nervous, and it is easier for me to understand that there is no point to be nervous. I also noticed that smoking speeds up my metabolism.
/Can you say in other words ‘smoke for sake of smoking’. I want to understand if I understood it correctly/
But I did not get if you have tried to switch to another brand of cigarettes from the shop? (from Chesterfield to Monte Carlo, for example)
Many smokers told me that when they change the brand they start coughing. But I do not know whether it is caused by a lung habituation or something else (It may be caused by the chemicals). (I mean when changing brands of cigarettes from the store). I want to know if your pain is caused just by switching to another brand or it is appear only when you switch to organic tobacco.

 

[pdale]

Does anyone know how effective a vaporizer is for tobacco? I'm interested because I read that some nicotine is burned off from the combustion. Do commercially available vaporizers get hot enough? Or are they too hot? There really isn't much information about this on the web. Kind of strange because vaporizers are all marketed as for tobacco only.

 

[Mr. Premise]

Does anyone know how effective a vaporizer is for tobacco? I'm interested because I read that some nicotine is burned off from the combustion. Do commercially available vaporizers get hot enough? Or are they too hot? There really isn't much information about this on the web. Kind of strange because vaporizers are all marketed as for tobacco only.

I think this was raised somewhere on this thread but the boiling temperature for nicotine is too high for vaporizers to work. It's higher than the temperature that would burn the leaf.

 

[Beau]

Does anyone know how effective a vaporizer is for tobacco? I'm interested because I read that some nicotine is burned off from the combustion. Do commercially available vaporizers get hot enough? Or are they too hot? There really isn't much information about this on the web. Kind of strange because vaporizers are all marketed as for tobacco only.

If you buy and use an electronic cigarette, you are essentially vaporizing the liquid nicotine. They are not sold or marketed as vaporizers specifically because vaporizing is connected primarily with marijuana use, but because of laws in most American states, they cannot be marketed as such so they are labeled as for tobacco use only even though they are never used in that way.

 

[Mr. Premise]

Does anyone know how effective a vaporizer is for tobacco? I'm interested because I read that some nicotine is burned off from the combustion. Do commercially available vaporizers get hot enough? Or are they too hot? There really isn't much information about this on the web. Kind of strange because vaporizers are all marketed as for tobacco only.

If you buy and use an electronic cigarette, you are essentially vaporizing the liquid nicotine. They are not sold or marketed as vaporizers specifically because vaporizing is connected primarily with marijuana use, but because of laws in most American states, they cannot be marketed as such so they are labeled as for tobacco use only even though they are never used in that way.

Actually, the reason the electronic cigarettes don't work as well as real ones is because the nicotine doesn't get vaporized. It has to be suspended in some goop, usually propylene glycol or glycerin, which is what gets vaporized. That probably slows down the absorption in the lungs.

 

[pdale]

Thank you guys for all the info. I'll stick to my pipe and rolling my own.

 

[Search]

I found pure hemp roling peper. It get recently available here. It seems that it organic. I'll order it.
Have anybody tried hemp rollng peper?
Also there is some rice paper for rolling cigarette. Here is what is written about it:

This paper tends to slow combustion. It has a watermark. If you do not inhale, the paper is diminishing.

It means that this paper has a FSC in paper?
And what is watermark for?

 

[Chrissy]

I found pure hemp roling peper. It get recently available here. It seems that it organic. I'll order it.
Have anybody tried hemp rollng peper?

I have used a brand called Raw which is organic hemp. I would say you can taste the tobacco more. I had a tingling sensation in my mouth. Also, I had some problems with the gum used as it seemed to not be as sticky as American Spirits paper. I wasted a lot of papers, because they would unroll on me. It was a bit frustrating. This is just my personal experience fwiw. Good luck in your pursuits for a healthy paper Serg.

 

[Oxajil]

I found pure hemp roling peper. It get recently available here. It seems that it organic. I'll order it.
Have anybody tried hemp rollng peper?

I have used a brand called Raw which is organic hemp. I would say you can taste the tobacco more.

Yea, organic hemp rolling paper is great!

I had a tingling sensation in my mouth. Also, I had some problems with the gum used as it seemed to not be as sticky as American Spirits paper. I wasted a lot of papers, because they would unroll on me. It was a bit frustrating. This is just my personal experience fwiw. Good luck in your pursuits for a healthy paper Serg.

Hmm I haven't had the same experience as you, but then again I use the organic rolling paper called OCB. I order them from here.

Also, Raw has organic ones and non-organic ones. Are you sure the ones you bought are organic? I once tried the non-organic one (from the brand Raw), and it left quite a nasty aftertaste..

 

[Search]

I want to order this one https://www.rollingpapers.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=5607
(It's English site I found the same on Ukrainian)
I'll try and see. I almost sure that the stitch that I have is because of non-organic peper.

 

[Oxajil]

I want to order this one https://www.rollingpapers.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=5607
(It's English site I found the same on Ukrainian)
I'll try and see. I almost sure that the stitch that I have is because of non-organic peper.

Hi Serg, that one says that it is just natural and 100% hemp, it doesn't say that it is organic. This one however, does seem to be organic, and might be better: _https://www.rollingpapers.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=6499

Maybe you can try both, and see which one you like better :)

 

[Chrissy]

Oxajil, Thank you for the info on the organic OCB brand. I had never heard of them. I am going to give them a try. The raw paper I used was organic so I really don't know why I reacted that way. It was almost like I burned the roof of my mouth. It cleared up after switching papers. I will try your brand and see. Thanks for sharing the link.

 

[Search]

Hi Serg, that one says that it is just natural and 100% hemp, it doesn't say that it is organic. This one however, does seem to be organic, and might be better: _https://www.rollingpapers.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=6499

Maybe you can try both, and see which one you like better :)

Hi, Oxajil, the problem is that I want to order on this site http://embargo.com.ua/ua/category/bumaga/
I give the previous link because it is on English. The site where I want to order is on Ukrainian and thay don't have the RAW Organic paper :(
Maybe I'll ask them if they coud order OCB or Raw. Thank you for reply and info. :)

 

[RedFox]

I've been thinking about why it is I can smoke on the paleo diet, but could not without feeling terrible on a high carb diet (beyond the possible anti-fungal properties/candida die off)....and have ended up running across a few little bits of info that may be of interest.

A quote I found posted by someone else from Gary Taubes Good Calories Bad Calories

"...the evidence suggests that nicotine induces weight loss by working on fat cells to increase their insulin resistance, while also decreasing the lipoprotein-lipase activity of these cells, both which serves to inhibit the accumulation of fat and promote its mobilization, over storage. ... Nicotine also seems to promote the mobilization of fatty acids directly by stimulating receptors on the membranes of the fat cells that are normally triggered by hormones such as adrenaline "

So with someone with no body fat/on a low fat diet smoking may be quite harmful....but on a high fat/low carb diet this may help with energy levels/not storing fat.

_http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/301/3/930.full.pdf

Nicotine Increases Hepatic Oxygen Uptake in the Isolated Perfused Rat Liver by Inhibiting Glycolysis

ABSTRACT
Nicotine influences energy metabolism, yet mechanisms re-main unclear. Since the liver is one of the largest organs and
performs many metabolic functions, the goal of this study was
to determine whether nicotine would affect respiration and
other metabolic functions in the isolated perfused liver. Infusion
of 85 +/-M nicotine caused a rapid 10% increase in oxygen
uptake over basal values of 105+/- 5 +/-mol/g/h in perfused livers
from fed rats, and an increase of 27% was observed with 850
+/-M nicotine. Concomitantly, rates of glycolysis of 105 +/- 8
+/-mol/g/h were decreased to 52+/- 9 +/-mol/g/h with nicotine,
whereas ketone body production was unaffected. Nicotine had
no effect on oxygen uptake in glycogen-depleted livers from
24-h fasted rats. Furthermore, addition of glucose to perfused
livers from fasted rats partially restored the stimulatory effect of
nicotine. Infusion of atractyloside, potassium cyanide, or glu-cagon blocked the nicotine-induced increase in respiration.
Intracellular calcium was increased in isolated hepatocytes by
nicotine, a phenomenon prevented by incubation of cells with
d-tubocurarine, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist.
Respiration was also increased ~30% in hepatocytes isolated
from fed rats by nicotine, whereas hepatocytes isolated from
fasted rats showed little response. In the presence of N-[2-( p-bromocinnamylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide (H-89),
an inhibitor of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A, nicotine
failed to stimulate respiration. These data support the hypoth-esis that inhibition of glycolysis by nicotine increases oxygen
uptake due to an ADP-dependent increase in mitochondrial
respiration

_http://ebm.rsmjournals.com/content/63/2/410.abstract

Production of Ketosis in Alloxan Diabetic Rats with Nicotinic Acid

Summary

A series of 20 rats of the Long-Evans strain which had severe alloxan diabetes for a preliminary period of 2 to 4 months, was given a diet with excess nicotinic acid. The diet was adequate but contained 1 g niacin/kg. The most outstanding effect of this diet was the production of ketonuria in 16 of the 20 animals, although the degree of ketonuria and the response pattern was variable. Supplementary choline did not inhibit ketosis. The action of nicotinic acid in altering fat metabolism is discussed.

So I may be mistaken but it appears nicotine may induce some of the changes that you get from the paleo diet (perhaps it would help with transition to the paleo diet too?).

Having said that...

_http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0024320576902708

Nicotinic acid reverses fasting ketosis by lowering the level of cyclic AMP

Abstract

When nicotinic acid was administered intraperitoneally to fasted rats, it reversed ketosis, decreased concentrations of cyclic AMP in adipose tissue and liver, and partially suppressed lipolysis. Administration of dibutyryl cyclic AMP reinduced ketosis in fasted rats previously treated with nicotinic acid. The results that nicotinic acid reverses ketosis by lowering tissue levels of cyclic AMP with a consequent suppression of lipolysis and ketogenesis.

_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclic_adenosine_monophosphate

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate

Synthesis and decomposition

cAMP is synthesised from ATP by adenylyl cyclase located on the inner side of the plasma membrane. Adenylyl cyclase is activated by a range of signaling molecules through the activation of adenylyl cyclase stimulatory G (Gs)-protein-coupled receptors and inhibited by agonists of adenylyl cyclase inhibitory G (Gi)-protein-coupled receptors. Liver adenylyl cyclase responds more strongly to glucagon, and muscle adenylyl cyclase responds more strongly to adrenaline.

cAMP decomposition into AMP is catalyzed by the enzyme phosphodiesterase.

Functions

cAMP is a second messenger, used for intracellular signal transduction, such as transferring into cells the effects of hormones like glucagon and adrenaline, which cannot pass through the cell membrane. It is involved in the activation of protein kinases and regulates the effects of adrenaline and glucagon. cAMP also binds to and regulates the function of ion channels such as the HCN channels and a few other cyclic nucleotide-binding proteins such as Epac1.

So at the very least nicotine seems to effect energy pathways in the body (possibly stimulating systems that assist with ketosis), including adrenal pathways (it seems it may block some of the effects of adrenalin?).

I found some other effects it has too.

_http://joe.endocrinology-journals.org/content/53/2/323

THE REPLETION OF OXYTOCIN IN THE PITUITARY OF RATS AFTER ADMINISTRATION OF NICOTINE
Excerpt

Although the release of oxytocin from the neurohypophysis has been demonstrated both after physiological stimuli such as suckling (Fitzpatrick, 1961) and after administration of pharmacological agents such as nicotine (Bisset & Walker, 1953), very little work appears to have been carried out to investigate how quickly oxytocin is repleted at the posterior pituitary gland after release. In the present investigation the oxytocin content of the pituitary gland was determined at 2, 10, 30 and 120 min after intravenous administration of nicotine to rats. The effect of previous administration of pheniramine, an antihistamine, on the oxytocin-releasing action of nicotine was studied in a further series of experiments.

_http://www.biolreprod.org/content/68/6/2274.full.pdf

Smoking Enhances Oxytocin-Induced Rhythmic Myometrial Contraction

ABSTRACT
Although smoking during pregnancy is one of the major risk
factors of premature delivery, the underlying mechanism by
which smoking causes premature delivery is unknown. In the
present study, we examined the effects of smoking on uterine
contractility induced by oxytocin and prostaglandin F2a
. Rats in-haled either cigarette smoke or room air from Day 14 to Day
16 of pregnancy through an inhalation apparatus for experi-mental animals (type ‘‘Hamburg II’’). After the rats were killed
on Day 17 of pregnancy, the uterine contractile sensitivity and
activity on exposure to oxytocin or prostaglandin F2a
were in-vestigated. The expression levels of oxytocin-receptor mRNA
and prostaglandin F2a
receptor mRNA in the uterus were inves-tigated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The
contractile activity was assessed as the contractile force and the
frequency of rhythmic contractions of myometrial strips that
were treated with oxytocin or prostaglandin F2a
. The contractile sensitivity to oxytocin was significantly higher in the smoking
group than in the control group ( P , 0.01). Although the con-tractile force of oxytocin-induced contractions did not differ be-tween the smoking and control groups, the frequency of con-tractions was significantly higher in the smoking group than in
the control group ( P , 0.01). On the other hand, no significant
differences were found in the contractile sensitivity and activity
in response to prostaglandin F2a
between the smoking and con-trol groups. The expression of oxytocin-receptor mRNA in the
myometrium was significantly increased in the smoking group
compared with the control group ( P , 0.01). However, no sig-nificant difference was found in the level of expression of pros-taglandin F2a
-receptor mRNA between the two groups. These re-sults suggest that smoking during pregnancy increases the con-tractile sensitivity and activity of the myometrium in response
to oxytocin by up-regulating the expression of oxytocin-receptor
mRNA. The effects of smoking on the contractile sensitivity and
activity of the myometrium in response to oxytocin may increase
the risk of premature delivery in smokers.

It would be intersting to know if nicotine changed gene expression and up regulated the sensitivity to oxytocin in other parts of the body too.....if it does then it appear that nicotine both releases and make you more sensitive to oxytocin. I wonder if it would be a stretch to say smoking makes you more empathic? fwiw

 

[gaman]

I'd been a non smoker for all my life, say more than 30 years, and I've started to smoke a few months ago once I read information on this thread. Various articles and experiences found on this forum helped me to change my attitude to smoking - gradually it became a bit suspicious to me why the system doesn't want to see people smoking and I found the answers here!

So I've started from couple of rolled cigs of AS per day. I experienced some dizziness and cough which was very intense during evenings. After couple of weeks I stopped smoking and decided to observe what happens to my caught. For some reasons it disappeared after a few days. Maybe the cough was also related to my health at that moment (because at the same time I was recovering from the outstanding flu symptoms) and/or the way how I used to smoke (these were rolled cigarettes without a filter and I tried to smoke it all till the very end of it). So now I'm active smoker for a two or so months again. Now I always drop off my cigarette away when it is about 2 cm long or more in order not to inhale all those concentrated tars in the end of the cigarette. This serves as some kind of a natural filter for me and my cough is gone now.

Hope this helps to those who has the similar problem and loves to experiment.

I'm experiencing very similar circumstance. I've dipped copenhagen snuff heavily (10 cans per week for at least 20 years) all my life (since I was 12 and I'm 45) but quit about 10 months ago because I couldn't find a good organic alternative and I thought my gum tissue needed a break. That was a disaster as far as losing control in other areas, etc. I started smoking AS organic hand rolled about 5 weeks ago and that has helped me greatly with stress and relaxation. But I'm a little concerned. For the 10 days prior I had had a bad bout with bronchitis. Some of the deeper throat irritation has never gone away (it feels fairly intense sometimes, not exactly pain but I don't know how to describe it). I had some small periods of bad hacking cough but that receded. However the deeper throat irritation varies in intensity from day to day and sticks with me. So, I'm going back to dipping for a week or more to see if the throat issue subsides and then try smoking again.

Since I have never smoked before, I'm wondering if smoking in general gives you long time smokers any throat irritation, cough, etc.?