Nicotine is the addictive chemical found in tobacco and e-cigarette liquids. On the surface, the substance might not scream “health benefits,” but a new study suggests it shouldn’t be written off just yet; it is possible that nicotine could protect against brain aging.

Share on Pinterest Researchers suggest nicotine could protect against brain aging.

Dr. Ursula Winzer-Serhan, an associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Medicine, and colleagues report their findings in the Journal of Toxicology.

Previous animal and human studies have shown that nicotine has possible cognitive benefits; the chemical binds to and activates nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the brain, which has been found to reduce neurodegeneration.

“Thus, medicinal use of nicotine or related nAChR agonists could have great beneficial effects for human health,” the authors note.

However, the underlying mechanisms of this association are unclear, and given nicotine’s well-known addictive properties, it is no surprise that concerns have been raised about using the chemical as a treatment for neurodegenerative disorders.

For their study, Dr. Winzer-Serhan and team used mouse models to investigate the effects of nicotine at various doses on appetite, weight, anxiety, and levels of nAChRs in the brain.

“Some people say that nicotine decreases anxiety, which is why people smoke, but others say it increases anxiety,” says Dr. Winzer-Serhan. “The last thing you would want in a drug that is given chronically would be a negative change in behavior.”