Introduction
Vaping has multiple usages. For instance, some users are looking for an effective way to quit smoking whereas other vapers prefer to vape non-nicotine vape juices for cloud chasing or just to enjoy the flavor.
Many vapers are looking for an effective way to quit smoking or an effective way to track and control their nicotine intake.
To control your nicotine intake means in part to control your nicotine urges. For that, you will need a “program” to reduce, step by step, your nicotine intake.
Why is it so difficult to control your nicotine intake? Because nicotine is a highly addictive substance.
In this article, we are going to focus on effective ways to control your nicotine intake and what’s the recommended dose depending on your daily nicotine intake.
What’s nicotine?
Nicotine is a substance that has stimulant and also sedative properties. Moreover, nicotine (tobacco) is considered one of the most addictive substances, if not the most addictive one.
However, not everything is negative about nicotine. For instance, nicotine is a beneficial substance to prevent or mitigate various ailments like Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, most of the negative effects linked to tobacco are caused by tar, which is a viscous and resinous substance and partially combusted particulate matter made by the burning of tobacco.
Where does tobacco come from?
Nicotine was named after the XVII century French ambassador in Portugal Jean Nicot. The nicotiana tabacum is a plant endemic to the Americas. In addition, it’s interesting to highlight that from the Mississippi Valley to Tierra del Fuego, all the indigenous people of the Americas, ate or smoked this plant, as it was considered the most sacred plant on the continent. For instance, many rituals or sacred ceremonies used tobacco either smoked or as tobacco concoctions.
Moreover, according to Christopher Columbus, “inhaling the tobacco smoke causes drowsiness and drunkenness, although it seems as it prevents the Indians from feeling fatigue”. In other words, a drug that makes them sleepy and fights against fatigue at the same time. Nevertheless, Christopher Columbus was right! It’s true that tobacco combines sedative and stimulating effects.
What’s nicotine used for?
Because of its sedative and stimulant properties, tobacco can calm down or stimulate the user depending on factors such as how user inhales it (for example, quick or slow puffs).
Nonetheless, perhaps what you didn’t know is that tobacco is used as an insecticide as it’s highly toxic for insects and crustaceans.
Health effects of nicotine
We know that tobacco has both stimulant and relaxant properties, but it can also cause some side effects in your body. For example, it alters your heart rate and insulin levels.
However, there are no researches that prove a link between nicotine and heart disease. If the tar and other carcinogenic substances are not present in tobacco, then we get the positive effects of nicotine but without the negative substances that cause many negative side effects. In other words, nicotine is a stimulant like caffeine.
In addition, nicotine raises awareness and concentration. Furthermore, there are some studies that have found a positive effect of nicotine in the reduction of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
What’s the daily recommended dose to control your nicotine intake?
It’s not easy to control your nicotine urges. Firstly, to control your nicotine intake, we recommend you switch from tobacco smoking to other less harmful nicotine products.
For example, vaping helps you to control your nicotine intake and it’s much easier to switch to vaping than other nicotine products such as nicotine gums. Moreover, the vapor resembles tobacco smoke and the user keeps the hand to mouth and mouth to lungs habits.
Furthermore, vaping has e-juices with different concentrations of nicotine, ranging from 3 mg/ml, 6 mg/ml, 12 mg/ml, and 18 mg/ml and some e-juices containing concentrations of 24 mg/ml. As you can see, there are many concentrations to assist you in the control of your nicotine intake.
You can progressively reduce your nicotine intake. Nonetheless, it is very important to implement the right strategy to help you control your nicotine intake.
Vape to control your nicotine intake: right nicotine concentration
Some studies have shown that vaping is the best method to help adults quit smoking. The best alternative to quit a dangerous habit that is the primary cause of heart disease and cancer.
Firstly, it’s very important that you choose the right concentration of nicotine. Otherwise, you risk craving for tobacco! In other words, low nicotine concentrations would elevate your chances to return to tobacco smoking in order to get your daily nicotine dose (if you are a heavy smoker).
Therefore, in order to control your nicotine intake, you need to start with the right dose! This means, if you are a heavy smoker, you should start vaping nicotine concentrations in the range of 12 mg/ml to 18 mg/ml or higher.
On the other hand, if you are not a heavy smoker, choosing a very high concentration of nicotine can make you feel uncomfortable. For instance, you will possibly cough and get throat hits with a very high nicotine concentration.
Types of Nicotine e-juices
There are many types of e-juices available in the market. From 0 mg/ml ones to very strong nicotine salts containing as much as 50 mg/ml.
You have probably heard many times the term “nicotine salts”. In general, the most common nicotine e-juices are freebase nicotine.
This form of nicotine is very pure form of nicotine, and its PH is in the range of 7-8, which means it’s a basic substance. In addition, its PH impacts on the flavor and sensation that it delivers. In other words, freebase nicotine is harsher to the vaper than nicotine salts.
On the other hand, nicotine salts have the same chemical structure as the nicotine found in natural tobacco leaves. Moreover, its pH is lower than freebase nicotine’s pH. To sum up, it’s not as harsh as freebase nicotine and you won’t get a coarse throat hit.
Some vapers prefer freebase nicotine as they enjoy the rough throat hit. However, nicotine salts have higher nicotine strengths available (up to 50 mg/ml).
Conclusion
There are many options available to control your nicotine intake. Firstly, I’d like to pinpoint the importance of choosing the right nicotine strength. In conclusion, if you vape nicotine that doesn’t provide the right nicotine dose, you have more chances to return to tobacco smoking.
To control your nicotine intake, if you are a heavy smoker, we recommend you use nicotine salts with a strength between 12 mg/ml to 18 mg/ml or higher. And over time, you can gradually reduce the nicotine concentration.
Finally, vaping is a good solution to control your nicotine intake, but without the negative side effects caused by the combustion of tobacco. In addition, recent studies have found vaping to be the most effective way to quit smoking.
This post was originally published on August 29, 2019. It was most recently updated on March 4, 2021.
