My guest writer for today’s post is Joylin Syme. She is a graduate from Lavender Path Wellness’s Certified Family Herbalist Program and is currently studying the Certified Community Herbalist Program. Researching and reporting findings on various health topics is an important part of herbalist training. In this article, Joylin shares what she has learned about nicotine. 

Nicotine: Villain, Medicine or Counterfeit Comfort? By Joylin Syme

Are cigarettes really that bad?

Growing up in the 1980s with chain-smoking parents was, for many of us (myself included), simply normal. I remember my mom sending me into 7-Eleven to buy her a case of Marlboro Reds and a Slurpee, as casually as if she were asking for milk and bread. Our car rides were thick with the smell of secondhand smoke. Every restaurant had a smoking section, and every “tough” character on television held a cigarette between their lips like a badge of honor.

Then, almost overnight, everything changed. Within a decade, cigarettes went from socially acceptable to socially condemned. Commercials flooded the airwaves with graphic images of diseased lungs and raspy voices offering cautionary tales about the consequences of lighting up. Smoking was no longer portrayed as edgy or strong, but as a weakness…something volatile, unsavory, and shameful. Tobacco and nicotine became synonymous with sickness and death, and we were collectively urged to cease and desist, no questions asked.

But years later, some people are beginning to ask questions again about this small, yet powerful, substance.

I wasn’t thinking much about it until my oldest son, who has been a smoker for years, asked me a simple question: Why are cigarettes bad, actually?

 Great question!

Nicotine, after all, is the primary addictive component of cigarette smoke and is undeniably associated with many smoking-related diseases. And yet, emerging research has begun to complicate the narrative. Beyond its addictive qualities, nicotine has demonstrated cognitive-enhancing and anti-inflammatory properties, prompting researchers to explore its potential therapeutic applications in certain conditions.

So… why are they bad? Let’s dig a little deeper.

What are the facts about nicotine?

Nicotine is an alkaloid found primarily in plants of the nightshade family. While it is most commonly associated with tobacco, it also occurs naturally in foods many of us consume regularly, including tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and even cocoa.

In the human body, nicotine acts primarily as a stimulant by binding to and activating nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in both the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. These receptors play important roles in learning, memory, attention, and neuroprotection. When activated, they trigger the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, acetylcholine, and norepinephrine, producing effects that can include increased alertness, reduced anxiety, and mild euphoria.

Some researchers have taken interest in these mechanisms. A Psychology Today article even describes nicotine as an “ancient panacea,” pointing to its potential role in neuron preservation, particularly in conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Other studies suggest nicotine may have antidepressant effects, possibly helping to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety by influencing mood-regulating neurotransmitters. Still others indicate that nicotine may improve focus and reduce impulsivity in individuals with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

This all sounds pretty good.
So what could possibly be the downside?

Nicotine, it turns out, has a double-edged nature.

The same mechanisms that allow nicotine to sharpen focus and stimulate neural pathways (the binding of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors) can also play a role in disease progression once it is introduced into the human body. Research suggests this receptor activation may accelerate certain cancer processes, particularly by supporting tumor growth and inhibiting the body’s natural ability to eliminate damaged or abnormal cells. In some cases, nicotine has even been shown to interfere with the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic drugs.

And then there’s smoking itself.

Smoking is strongly linked to cardiovascular disease, affecting both the heart and blood vessels, as well as to a host of respiratory illnesses. The lungs bear the brunt of the damage: the trachea, bronchi, lung tissue, and even the chest cavity can become compromised over time. Those graphic images of diseased lungs that filled public service announcements were no joke. They were showing something very real and scary.

So the question becomes: What, exactly, is doing the damage?
Is it the nicotine? The tobacco? Or the smoke itself?

It’s important to recognize that tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals—many of them toxic, and dozens known to be carcinogenic. When tobacco is burned and inhaled, the body is exposed to a chemical cocktail far more complex than nicotine alone. This has led some researchers to ask whether isolating nicotine from the cigarette changes the risk profile entirely.

Nicotine is not harmless. It is addictive and can affect the cardiovascular system, particularly heart rate and blood pressure. And yet, authoritative reviews have not identified nicotine itself as a carcinogen. The overwhelming health risks associated with cigarettes appear to come primarily from inhaling smoke filled with cancer-causing compounds…not from nicotine in isolation.

So where does that leave us?

Nicotine is not the villain we were once told it was, nor is it the hero some would like to crown it. It has shown cognitive and neurological benefits in certain settings, and research continues to explore its potential therapeutic value. At the same time, nicotine is powerfully addictive. It alters brain chemistry, reinforces dependence, and when paired with harmful delivery methods like smoking, can become deeply entangled with disease and suffering.

And addiction is where the conversation shifts.

Addiction has a way of promising relief while quietly demanding allegiance. What begins as a tool for focus, calm, or coping can slowly become something we feel we need in order to function. The line between use and reliance is not always obvious, but it matters.

As followers of Christ, we affirm that God has given us both natural and scientific resources to steward well. Scripture is filled with examples of God using physical means for healing and provision. The question, then, is not whether something is “natural” or even potentially beneficial, but whether it is rightly ordered in our lives.

Anything that offers comfort while quietly claiming mastery, deserves our attention.

Nicotine can easily become a counterfeit comfort, something we turn to for peace, clarity, or control instead of the deeper rest God invites us into. While it may have a place in carefully considered or therapeutic contexts, it was never meant to replace discernment, self-control, or dependence on the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps the better question isn’t simply, Is nicotine good or bad?
But rather: What am I asking it to give me—and at what cost?

Action Step (suggested by Joni)

I appreciate Joylin for sharing her research with us. 

Joylin has provided us important information about nicotine. She is asking us to consider the risks versus the benefits of using nicotine before we use it or recommend it to others. 

If you are interested in becoming a certified herbalist, please reach out to me for information about our herbal school at: joni@lavenderpathwellness.com

May God bless you on your wellness journey!

Joni

P.S. What do you think about nicotine?