The Effects of Chewing Tobacco on the Brain

In the past few years, smokeless tobacco products have gained traction yet again due to the abundance of research pinpointing cigarette smoking as the number one source of lung illnesses. 

This pushed many cigarette smokers to switch and opt for various smokeless tobacco products, including chewing tobacco. Even cigar and pipe smokers are starting to ditch their smoking tobacco products in favour of less harmful smokeless tobacco.

Chewing tobacco, however, might not be as harmless as one might believe. To better understand chewing tobacco and its potential effects on the brain, this blog is here to discuss key facts about this particular smokeless tobacco product.

Effects of Chewing Tobacco on Brain Health

To start the discussion about chewing tobacco, it’s important to know the basics of the product.

Historically, chewing tobacco has existed for centuries. Dating back as early as the 1400s, Native Americans were among the first to consume chewing tobacco as a part of their religious rituals and medicinal practices. They make these smokeless tobacco products by mixing tobacco leaves and plants and consuming them through chewing. 

Fast forward to today, chewing tobacco remains one of the popular forms of smokeless tobacco. While it is maximized as a way to consume nicotine, many consider chewing tobacco as a safer alternative to cigarettes, pipes, cigars, and other smoking tobacco products. 

And since it doesn’t require any combustion and doesn’t produce any tobacco smoke, many treat it as the main avenue to quit smoking. 

The World Health Organization and other health agencies around the world, however, do not recommend chewing tobacco as a form of smoking cessation since it still poses health risks to those who will be consuming it on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, it can be as dangerous as conventional cigarettes since chewing tobacco contains tobacco plant, which naturally produces nicotine that makes the product addictive. Over time, consuming chewing tobacco leads to nicotine dependence and poses serious health problems that can be difficult to treat later on.

Smokeless tobacco users may defend chewing tobacco with everything they have, but they won’t be able to deny the fact that this product can pose detrimental effects on one’s body. One of the body parts that can be heavily affected by continuous chewing tobacco use is the brain.

Similar to cigarette smoking, chewing tobacco consumption can affect your brain in many ways. A trivial component of chewing tobacco that makes it somehow dangerous to the brain is nicotine. When you chew this particular product, it releases tons of chemicals, which include the highly addictive substance. As it gets absorbed by your body, it will reach your brain in no time, triggering responses and effects that can slowly change the way you feel, think, and move.

Some primary effects of chewing tobacco on your brain health are as follows.

• Nicotine addiction: As discussed earlier, chewing tobacco can release nicotine as you consume it. Once it is absorbed by your body, the highly addictive substance reaches your brain, triggering the release of dopamine that creates feelings of pleasure and reinforces addictive behaviours. Without regulating your consumption of chewing tobacco, the nicotine from the tobacco product continuously enters your body and triggers the same effects. It will then push your brain to develop a dependency, making it hard for you to quit chewing tobacco. 
• Cognitive impairment: Another effect of consuming chewing tobacco on your brain health is cognitive impairment. This particular effect often covers young adults or those who are 25 years old and below. The nicotine from chewing tobacco can affect these individuals by changing neural pathways in their brains. If they are exposed to nicotine in their early years, then the nicotine from chewing tobacco may have already altered the structure and functions of various parts of their brain, which negatively impact their memory, attention, and learning. The same substance from chewing tobacco may likewise alter their levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. This leads to young adults being more susceptible to addiction not only to chewing tobacco but also to other addictive products.
• Mood disorders: One more potential effect of chewing tobacco on your brain health is mood disorder. This effect often happens when you are on your way to quitting tobacco or don’t consume chewing tobacco as often as you would often do. It then leads to nicotine withdrawal, generating symptoms like anxiety, irritability, and even depression. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms may likewise cover cravings, difficulty concentrating, and poor sleep. If you’ve successfully ditched chewing tobacco and other tobacco products in your life, then you may gradually improve your mental health once again, reducing anxiety and depression symptoms. Otherwise, you might only get back to your old habit of chewing tobacco leaves while at work or during break hours. 

The effects of chewing tobacco do not only manifest physical symptoms as they can likewise affect your brain health. The best option you have to avoid damaging your brain health is to quit tobacco consumption, which you can do through nicotine replacement therapy and counselling.

Chewing Tobacco Effects on Mental Health

Many tobacco brands offer a vast range of chewing tobacco products so they can cater to as many tobacco users as possible. These brands include America’s Best Chew, Stoker’s, Levi Garrett, Beech-Nut, and Days O Work. They are known for offering the best smokeless tobacco products out there, ensuring consistent nicotine delivery as you chew the tobacco leaves. Even abstinent smokers would love consuming these tobacco products.

Discover the best chewing tobacco for beginners here.

Now, despite the promise of chewing tobacco brands regarding their perceived less harm than smoking tobacco products, they often don’t acknowledge the fact that their offerings can somehow affect one’s mental health. As you chew these tobacco products, the nicotine you get from them can truly soothe your mood and feelings for a short time.

But as time passes, the relaxing effects of nicotine will be gone. The only thing you are left with is the desire to consume another round of chewing tobacco to bring back the same effects you were feeling a few minutes or hours ago. It is even more prominent for tobacco users who are dealing with mental health problems. They are known to be more susceptible to using these products as a way to somehow drown out the negative emotions and thoughts they are feeling and thinking, respectively.

Unfortunately, chewing tobacco may only make things worse.

The nicotine from chewing tobacco reaches your brain and activates various transmitters and hormones, which lead to various effects on your body. After getting your desired nicotine hit, you may temporarily feel positive feelings. It may, however, be outweighed and replaced by low mood, irritability, and difficulties with focus, memory, and learning. All these things happen as soon as the nicotine levels in your body drop. 

Your mental health may be affected heavily as long as you consume chewing tobacco. A number of effects you may experience due to chewing tobacco consumption include:

• Addiction: Chewing tobacco is made from tobacco, which is known to naturally release nicotine as soon as you consume it. Since nicotine is highly addictive, you might eventually depend on it for your desired hit. After consuming chewing tobacco for too long, it may only contribute to stress and anxiety, especially if you cannot gain access to the said product. Stress and anxiety may likewise occur as a part of your quitting tobacco journey.
• Cognitive effects: The nicotine content from chewing tobacco may impact your ability to think clearly. Over time, you might face difficulties with attention, learning, and memory, which can affect your day-to-day life. At work, you might have some problems engaging in professional discussions with your team. At school, you may encounter some challenges in concentrating during exams or understanding the lessons that were just taught by your instructors.
• Mood disorders: As previously discussed, nicotine can alter your dopamine and serotonin levels. These neurotransmitters are typically involved in regulating and changing your mood. When you consume chewing tobacco, you might feel somehow enlightened in a few hours. As soon as your nicotine level drops, you may then experience low mood and irritability. It can also lead to increased anxiety and worsen depression.
• Interaction with medications: If you are taking some medications to treat mental health disorders, you might not be able to get your desired effects once you consume chewing tobacco. Chewing tobacco, through its nicotine content, may only interact negatively with your existing meds, potentially reducing their effectiveness or causing adverse health effects.

Mental health issues are serious and should be treated without relying on any tobacco products. If possible, consult with your healthcare professional to get vital advice. You must also seek professional help with regard to your nicotine dependence and nicotine addiction.

Nicotine Addiction and Mental Health

When talking about chewing tobacco and even other tobacco products in the market today, it would be impossible not to mention nicotine. Nicotine is a stimulant that is released by tobacco products whenever they are consumed. Whether you smoke or chew them, nicotine is expected to be released, giving your body the desired effects, even though they are short-lived.

So, what is a stimulant? A stimulant like nicotine makes the communication between your brain and body faster. Nicotine, being a stimulant, causes your brain to release more dopamine, making you feel pleasure. Now, when you use nicotine-containing products like chewing tobacco, it makes you depend heavily on the stimulant, changing the way your brain works. All these things lead to nicotine dependence and eventually nicotine addiction.

There are two types of nicotine dependence you should know:

1. Physical dependence: This type of dependence occurs when your body requires nicotine to avoid withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms manifest unpleasant feelings that you typically get when you stop using tobacco products like chewing tobacco. Some symptoms include restlessness and agitation. 
2. Psychological dependence: Psychological dependence is the feeling of needing nicotine, or in this case, chewing tobacco, to get through your day as it is already included in your daily routine.

When your body is already used to possessing a certain level of nicotine in your system, then nicotine dependence occurs. At this point, the only way to feel satisfied is to consume chewing tobacco. Failure to do this only leads to withdrawal symptoms, causing unpleasant effects on your mind and body.

As for your mental health, nicotine can cause dependence and can affect you in several ways. Once the stimulant reaches your brain, the latter releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for creating temporary feelings of happiness and satisfaction. 

After the feel-good effects of the stimulant wear off (usually within a few minutes of the nicotine hit), you may slowly feel edge or irritated. The only thing that you can do to continue enjoying the nicotine’s pleasurable effects is to consume another round of chewing tobacco. It’s important to note that the more you use nicotine, the higher your body’s tolerance to the stimulant. This means your body will gradually require more of the stimulant before you feel good.

Do remember that even after one or two uses of chewing tobacco, it can already lead to nicotine dependence and addiction. Some symptoms you must watch out if you are addicted to nicotine include:

• Intense nicotine cravings
• The feeling of needing nicotine before you can function
• Withdrawal symptoms like restlessness and difficulty sleeping
• Feeling sad, irritable, and anxious
• Requiring large amounts of nicotine to feel relaxed and satisfied
• Consuming nicotine products despite knowing their health risks
• Wanting to quit tobacco products but fail to do so

Your physical craving for nicotine may manifest once you feel edgy, anxious, and restless. You may then experience tightness in your throat or stomach. Take note that your cravings for nicotine may come in waves of intensity. Sometimes it could feel subtle but can later become stronger.

To treat nicotine addiction and dependence, you should consult with healthcare professionals so they can prescribe you the right medications. They may likewise recommend proper treatments and therapies to not only curb your nicotine consumption but also provide some help with your mental health issues and problems.

Impact of Chewing Tobacco on Cognitive Function

Chewing tobacco is one of the most popular products in the smokeless tobacco category. The popularity of the said product can be attributed to the convenience it brings to users.

With chewing tobacco, you don’t need to smoke and light anything up. The only thing you must do is place some chewing tobacco leaves in your mouth and chew them. From time to time, you must spit out the tobacco juices to avoid poisoning yourself due to their nicotine and other chemicals.

Compared to cigarettes, chewing tobacco is advertised by many brands as a less harmful option as it does not generate any tobacco smoke, which is known to release tar and other harmful chemicals. The lack of any smoke also means that chewing tobacco won’t harm people through secondhand smoke.

Unfortunately, this type of smokeless tobacco product may pose some health risks to users. Since you consume it directly in your mouth, the tobacco content of the product can affect your oral cavity as well as other related parts. Over time, consuming chewing tobacco may lead to tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath, and other oral health problems.

Chewing tobacco may even cause cancer of the mouth, esophagus and pancreas. Other health risks include mouth diseases like leukoplakia and cancers of the oral cavity, larynx, or pharynx, increased risk for early delivery and stillbirth when consumed during pregnancy, nicotine poisoning in children, and heart disease and stroke.

Aside from physical health issues, chewing tobacco can also affect your brain due to the presence of nicotine. As mentioned in the earlier parts of the article, nicotine is a highly addictive stimulant that can make you feel happy and relaxed for a short time. After these effects wear off, you are left with low mood, increased anxiety, and other negative emotions and feelings.

The only thing that can bring back your mood and energy levels is to consume chewing tobacco again.

Apart from nicotine dependence, chewing tobacco may likewise have an impact on your cognitive function, especially if you are still young. The brain development of those who are 25 years old and below is still ongoing. If you are consuming nicotine at a young age, the particular stimulant can alter your brain significantly, affecting key regions responsible for memory and focus.

When you continue consuming chewing tobacco, you might end up having difficulties with learning and retaining vital information.

Additionally, using chewing tobacco puts you at risk of cognitive decline. This particular health effect is not only caused by nicotine but it can also be caused by the tobacco’s harmful chemicals. Once they enter your brain, they can gradually damage the blood vessels in your brain, reducing its overall oxygen flow. This then causes a significant decline in your cognitive functions.

Cognitive functions cover mental abilities such as learning, reasoning, thinking, remembering, problem-solving, decision-making, and attention.

One thing you can do to improve your cognitive functions and overall brain health is to quit chewing tobacco. There are a couple of alternative products you can use to successfully ditch chewing tobacco.

Chewing Tobacco and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Different diseases have already been discovered in the medical field, which may be caused by a number of factors. One group of diseases you should know is neurodegenerative diseases.

Neurodegenerative diseases are chronic conditions which damage and destroy some parts of the nervous system over time, particularly the brain. They are typically permanent and incurable. But due to medical advances, many of them are now treatable. 

Some main types of these diseases include:

• Dementia-type diseases: These diseases cause progressive damage to different brain areas, which causes neurons in several areas of the brain to die. Some conditions that may develop depending on the affected brain areas are Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Lewy body dementia, and limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy.
• Demyelinating diseases: They involve myelin damage or loss that affects the sending and relaying of nerve signals. Some examples of these diseases include multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.
• Parkinsonism-type diseases: These diseases are caused by the damage to specific brain neurons that aid in managing coordination and precise control of muscle movements. They cover Parkinson’s disease and other forms of Parkinsonism.
• Motor neuron diseases: These occur when neurons that control movement die off. Some examples of motor neuron diseases are amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and progressive supranuclear palsy.
• Prion diseases: These diseases are a type of protein misfolding disease that causes serious brain damage for a short time. One of the most common diseases is the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

The causes of neurodegenerative diseases may vary. Some may develop these diseases due to age. The older you are, the higher your chances of developing one. While some brain diseases may start earlier in life, they are often less common.

Some patients may then develop neurodegenerative diseases due to genetics. Specific mutations that are inherited by some individuals may increase their risk of getting such diseases. 

Even your environment can be the primary factor in developing neurodegenerative diseases. If you’re exposed to pollution, chemicals and toxins, and certain types of infections, then your chances of developing these conditions may become high. 

Neurodegenerative diseases may ultimately be caused by your habits, routines, and choices in life. From the food you eat to the amount of alcohol you consume, all these factors can contribute to the development of these diseases. Even the use of tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco, can become a primary cause of acquiring these illnesses. 

When you use chewing tobacco, it increases your chance of developing neurodegenerative diseases due to its harmful effects on your brain and nervous system. Prolonged exposure to nicotine can somehow alter your neurotransmitters, contributing to oxidative stress and inflammation. This then leads to neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Chewing tobacco can also damage your blood vessels, reducing the supply of oxygen and nutrients to your brain. This then accelerates cognitive decline and increases your susceptibility to the disease. Lastly, this smokeless tobacco product contains tobacco-specific nitrosamines that can cause cellular damage, triggering processes that are related to neuronal degeneration.

Chewing Tobacco Effects on Memory

Different studies regarding tobacco use have suggested that tobacco exposure can lead to cognitive impairment. A study done on older adults in India, for instance, has discovered that older adults who smoke tobacco products and drink alcoholic drinks are at risk of worse cognitive outcomes than those who neither smoke nor drink alcohol. The same studies have also found that older adults who smoked tobacco had a higher likelihood of having cognitive impairment than those who did not smoke.

So, what about smokeless tobacco? Does chewing tobacco pose negative effects on memory?

In hindsight, chewing tobacco and other types of smokeless tobacco products may negatively affect your memory. Nicotine, which is naturally released by chewing tobacco during consumption, pose harmful effects to your memory.

One effect of chewing tobacco on your memory is short-term memory impairment. The nicotine content of the said smokeless tobacco product can gradually disrupt the natural balance of neurotransmitters, which then affects the brain’s ability to store and recall information properly. 

Chronic use of chewing tobacco can also lead to reduced blood flow to the brain. It subsequently damages regions that are responsible for memory and learning over time.

The dependency cycle of nicotine can then strain the cognitive function of the brain further since withdrawal symptoms like difficulty concentrating and irritability interfere with memory performance.

How about withdrawal symptoms?

One study done among Indian smokeless tobacco users found that those who consciously abstained from consuming smokeless tobacco showcased higher withdrawal symptoms and worse cognitive performance. Hence, the study suggests that distraction sessions should be included and become a new element in tobacco control strategies.

This study only shows that smokeless tobacco products like chewing tobacco can truly alter your memory, especially if you will be using them for a long time. Without chewing tobacco, it can temporarily impair your memory due to withdrawal symptoms. Over time, however, the absence of chewing tobacco and other nicotine products will only improve your memory and cognitive health.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does chewing tobacco affect the brain?

Yes. Chewing tobacco affects the brain through its nicotine content, which is known to alter brain chemistry. The said stimulant triggers dopamine release, generating a temporary sense of pleasure and reinforcing addictive behaviours. Over time, consuming chewing tobacco leads to dependency, cognitive impairments, and disruptions in the normal function of the brain.

What are 3 long term effects of chewing tobacco?

The 3 long-term effects of chewing tobacco are addiction, cognitive decline, and increased cancer risk. When you use chewing tobacco for a long time, it alters your brain chemistry, leading to a strong nicotine dependency. Chewing tobacco likewise exposes you to nicotine and toxins that impair your memory, focus, and overall brain health. Lastly, chemicals in chewing tobacco raise the chance of developing oral, throat, and oesophageal cancer.

Does chewing tobacco affect mental health?

Yes. Chewing tobacco can negatively affect your mental health by contributing to anxiety, irritability, and depression, especially during withdrawal phases. While nicotine can temporarily reduce your stress levels, it only disrupts your brain’s natural reward system over time, which worsens mood disorders. The addictive cycle then creates mental health challenges like dependence and emotional stress.

Summary

Chewing tobacco can negatively impact your brain, mental health, and other aspects of the nervous system. Without quitting chewing tobacco and other forms of smokeless tobacco, you might only put yourself at risk of developing serious illnesses related to your brain and other related parts. It can then hamper your ability to concentrate, memorize, and recall things, leading to poor performance in terms of work and everyday life.

To kickstart your chewing tobacco cessation journey, you must opt for alternatives that can help you consume nicotine without relying on tobacco. Nicotine pouches are one of the best alternative products you can buy and consume from NativeSmokes4Less, which are known to provide nicotine without the risks associated with chewing tobacco.