# If you're to lose weight would nicotine gum be an effective appetite suppressant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 7, 2010, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-to-lose-weight-would-nicotine-gum-be-an-effective-appetite-suppressant/538657 "2010-05-07T17:57:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-to-lose-weight-would-nicotine-gum-be-an-effective-appetite-suppressant/538657/1 "2010-05-07T17:57:02Z")
Just curious. I don’t smoke, and never have smoked. I used to use ephedra based products to get jump started on a diet, but that was outlawed. Would nicotine gum be an effective substitute appetite suppressant? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-to-lose-weight-would-nicotine-gum-be-an-effective-appetite-suppressant/538657/2 "2010-05-07T18:45:26Z")
Nicotine is not an appetite suppressant, although it does interfere slightly with fat metabolism in women (so I read about 20 years ago). Chewing gum may be as effective in suppressing nervous eating as smoking is, but that’s mainly a “keeping your mouth busy” function. Most appetite suppressants (well, all that I’ve heard of) are stimulants. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-to-lose-weight-would-nicotine-gum-be-an-effective-appetite-suppressant/538657/3 "2010-05-07T19:05:25Z")
Celery and carrots? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-to-lose-weight-would-nicotine-gum-be-an-effective-appetite-suppressant/538657/4 "2010-05-07T19:29:38Z")
Here’s a 2002 review of the literature on nicotine and appetite: [Nicotinic Receptor-Mediated Effects on Appetite and Food Intake - PMC](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2367209/) Their summary from J Neurobiol. 2002 December; 53(4): 618–632. : > [@](#): > > The literature is clear with respect to the effects of nicotine and nicotinic receptors in the regulation of appetite. Smokers are leaner and smoking cessation in the absence of nicotine replacement therapy typically results in significant and sustained hyperphagia and weight gain. > > Identifying the cellular substrates of nicotine action is no small task. Despite numerous reports on the seriousness of nicotine-cessation related weight gain, considerable progress in our understanding of nAChRs (to wit this volume) and staggering discoveries in the identification of the molecular scaffolds of feeding behavior, the interface between the fields of smoking and eating remains sketchy, at best. We are still lacking systematic studies aimed at identifying the major regulatory nodes of where nicotine effects and appetite control converge. Our knowledge of the role of central cholinergic circuits in appetite is embryonic, despite impressive efforts in the neuroanatomy and immunocytochemistry of cholinergic neurons and their diffuse terminal fields. In sum, it appears that the physiologists—from systems to synaptic-analysts—have not (ahem) towed their weight in addressing these fundamental issues in the neural regulation of feeding behavior. There’s lots of work to do. There doesn’t appear to have been much work done on non-smokers and weight loss via nicotine product use. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-to-lose-weight-would-nicotine-gum-be-an-effective-appetite-suppressant/538657/5 "2010-05-07T19:33:53Z")
The downside of becoming addicted to nicotine would outweigh any benefits I should think. Plus nicotine cessation is often associated with weight gain, so you might fiond as soon as you try to stop the urge to eat would increase dramatically. On a personal note, I have foudn nicotien addiction to be an incredibly strong one, and would never advise anyone to take the risk of become addicted to it. ---
**Author:** ![code\_grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@code\_grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/code_grey)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-to-lose-weight-would-nicotine-gum-be-an-effective-appetite-suppressant/538657/6 "2010-05-07T21:04:45Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > Nicotine is not an appetite suppressant, although it does interfere slightly with fat metabolism in women (so I read about 20 years ago). Chewing gum may be as effective in suppressing nervous eating as smoking is, but that’s mainly a “keeping your mouth busy” function. Most appetite suppressants (well, all that I’ve heard of) are stimulants. actually, nicotine IS a stimulant, a legal stimulant like caffeine although one much more hated by the establishment for historical reasons. How good it is at appetite suppression is another matter. From wikipedia: > [@](#): > > In low concentrations (an average cigarette yields about 1 mg of absorbed nicotine), the substance acts as a stimulant in mammals and is the main factor responsible for the dependence-forming properties of tobacco smoking. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-to-lose-weight-would-nicotine-gum-be-an-effective-appetite-suppressant/538657/7 "2010-05-08T14:48:10Z")
I quit smoking ten years ago, and I still miss nicotine. It’s my favorite, favorite, favorite drug. I’d give up drinking in a heartbeat if it meant I could smoke safely. I’d seriously consider giving up orgasms to smoke safely. I’d probably be willing to give up eating entirely if it meant I could smoke safely. My point is that it’s not worth it. And diets really don’t need to be “kick started”. It’s not about losing the weight, it’s about changing what caused you to gain the weight. If it takes you 2 more weeks to get to where you want to be, who cares? ---
**Author:** ![heavyarms553](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@heavyarms553](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heavyarms553)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-to-lose-weight-would-nicotine-gum-be-an-effective-appetite-suppressant/538657/8 "2010-05-08T16:26:59Z")
There are better off-label weight loss drugs out there. Dexedrine and other assorted stimulants works fantastically over short periods of time to suppress appetite. It’s no wonder drug but it will do the job. Talk to your doctor about it. Some docs support using drugs like these in this fashion, while others don’t. Personally, I think that its a losing proposition because the suppression isn’t sustainable and you’ll just gain it all back eventually. A more effective method would be to just alter lifestyle choices. Fight weight gain at the grocery store, not at the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-to-lose-weight-would-nicotine-gum-be-an-effective-appetite-suppressant/538657/9 "2010-05-09T07:20:02Z")
> [@heavyarms553](#): > > There are better off-label weight loss drugs out there. Dexedrine and other assorted stimulants works fantastically over short periods of time to suppress appetite. It’s no wonder drug but it will do the job. Talk to your doctor about it. Some docs support using drugs like these in this fashion, while others don’t. Personally, I think that its a losing proposition because the suppression isn’t sustainable and you’ll just gain it all back eventually. A more effective method would be to just alter lifestyle choices. Fight weight gain at the grocery store, not at the fridge. I see no reason why one could not do both. You suppress the appetite, which helps you get on the healthy diet. The extra energy helps you do exercise, and then, once you’re used to it, gradually decrease it at a rate where your body doesn’t really notice, and so the newfound habits don’t disappear. I’ve seen it work really well in psychiatric situations where therapy alone was insufficient.