Nicotine in Isolation

Nicotine is a substance that many associate with the cancer-causing effects of smoking. This is incorrect.

While the most common delivery system, cigarettes, may not be best for those of us looking to optimize health and body composition, nicotine in isolation is actually a great tool to add to any sensible fat loss stack.

Chewing on nicotine gum or using nicotine mints can help increase dopamine, which can have a mood enhancing and appetite suppressing effect. It's for this reason that many competitive bodybuilders keep it in their arsenal for the later stages of a diet.

What's great about nicotine in particular is that it has a relatively short life of maybe up to two hours. This makes it perfect for evenings when hunger can be a problem. It also has thermogenic properties and a metabolic effect.

Nicotine can be taken later in the day to spike metabolism and suppress appetite. The perfect dose is 1-2 mg. Be sure to start on the lower end; it can initially make you a little nauseated. Typical nicotine gum contains 2-4 mg. of nicotine, so use half a piece.

Nicotine can sometimes cause headaches, dizziness, or dry mouth, and while you might worry that it's addictive, nicotine gum or lozenge addiction is pretty rare, but it can happen.