Cigarettes and cigars are probably the first products that spring to mind when thinking of nicotine. It’s the powerful ingredient that makes smoking so addictive, while triggering a sense of relaxation.
Yet, you may be surprised to know that it’s also the chemical within a number of the public’s favourite foods – though experts suggest its effect is slightly different. Markus Lindblad from Northerner, explained: “Nicotine found in nightshade plants and other foods is [often] measured in micrograms (µg).
“One million µg equals one gram, so the levels are minimal. However, it’s good for people to have an understanding of what nicotine is and where it can be found. Maybe especially interesting for nicotine pouch and vape users.”
PMI Science estimates that people eat around 1,400 ng of nicotine every day in ordinary food. Incredibly, this includes classic mashed potatoes or Sunday roasties, encompassing around ~675 ng of nicotine.
Ordinary vegetables like aubergines and green peppers are included in this too, alongside tomatoes at a reported average of ~332 ng each. For context, an average cigarette may contain ~12 mg of nicotine – 18,000 times more than a potato.
As a result, experts don’t believe you can get addicted to food in the same way. Lindblad continued: “Whilst nicotine is naturally present in fruit, vegetables and other foods that we eat on a daily basis, the levels are extremely small, so there is no way you can become addicted to them.
“When you consume these foods, the tiny concentrations of nicotine travel through your intestines and your body easily digests it. In comparison, nicotine products (such as nicotine pouches) have much larger amounts of nicotine which get absorbed into the bloodstream.”
Experts at PMI Science also add: “Commercially available products, including cigarettes, nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), smoke-free products, and others, contain levels of nicotine high enough to temporarily affect brain function in a reversible way.”
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