Well I guess there isn’t much more to this question…I am guessing Tobacco must be a natural laxative???
I smoked for 20 years, and never noticed this effect.
Clin Investig. 1992 Mar-Apr;70(3-4):182-9. Related Articles, Links
Effects of nicotine receptor agonists on acetylcholine release from the isolated motor nerve, small intestine and trachea of rats and guinea-pigs.
Wessler I, Apel C, Garmsen M, Klein A.
Pharmakologisches Institut, Universität Mainz.
The effects of nicotine receptor agonists on the release of [3H]acetylcholine from the phrenic nerve, the small intestine and the trachea were investigated to characterize neuronal nicotine receptors within the peripheral nervous system. Contraction of the indirectly-stimulated hemidiaphragm was recorded to investigate desensitization of the postsynaptic muscular nicotine receptors. Nicotine, cytisine, 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium and 2-(4-aminophenyl)-ethyl-trimethyl-ammoniumiodide caused a concentration-dependent (0.1-30 microM) increase in evoked [3H]acetylcholine release from the phrenic nerve, whereby bell-shaped concentration-response curves were obtained. The rank order of decreasing potency was: nicotine greater than cytisine greater than 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium greater than 2-(4-aminophenyl)-ethyl-trimethyl-ammoniumiodide. The presynaptic effects of nicotine depended strongly on the exposure time: facilitation occurred after a short 20 s exposure and inhibition after a 3 min exposure, whereas nicotine no longer affected evoked [3H]acetylcholine release after a 15 min exposure. Pre-exposure (40 min) of the phrenic nerve to 0.3 microM nicotine prevented any subsequent modulatory effect of a high nicotine concentration. In contrast, the contraction of the indirectly-stimulated hemidiaphragm remained unaffected in the presence of 0.3-30 microM nicotine, but a concentration of 1 mM nicotine abolished skeletal muscle contraction. Nicotine (10 microM) produced a substantial release of [3H]acetylcholine in the small intestine but not in the isolated trachea. The present experiments show presynaptic nicotine receptors at the phrenic nerve, which, under appropriate conditions, can mediate facilitation of evoked transmitter release. These neuronal receptors appear more sensitive to desensitizing conditions than the postsynaptic muscular nicotine receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Translation: There are nicotine receptors in your intestines. When you smoke, the nicotine triggers them, and they trigger your intestines to contract. Everything inside moves down the track a bit and the poop at the end knocks on the exit door. But if you smoke too much, the effect is lost.
The Master has spoken.
And what he says is pretty much what WhyNot said:
Your guts are crammed with “nicotinic receptors,” which are part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls your digestion, among other things. When you use tobacco, these receptors are stimulated and your innards commence to churning. If you were pretty full already, you may well feel the need to visit the john.
John Locke noticed the same thing:
Then I consider’d, that going to stool, was the effect of certain motions of the body; especially of the peristaltick motion of the guts.
I consider’d that several motions, that were not perfectly voluntary, might yet, by use and constant application, be brought to be habitual, if by an unintermitted custom they were at certain seasons endeavour’d to be constantly produced.
I had observ’d some men, who by taking after supper a pipe of tobacco, never fail’d of a stool, and began to doubt with myself, whether it were not more custom, than the tobacco, that gave them the benefit of nature; or at least, if the tobacco did it, it was rather by exciting a vigorous motion in the guts, than by any purging quality; for then it would have had other effects.
Having thus once got the opinion that it was possible to make it habitual, the next thing was to consider what way and means was the likeliest to obtain it. . . (“Some Thoughts Concerning Education”, 1693