Though often vilified, nicotine may not be the outright villain it’s made out to be. Dr. Bryan Ardis, a retired chiropractor and public speaker, boldly reframes nicotine as a “nutrient, not a drug.” He argues that its anti-inflammatory power, neurological benefits, and immune support are deeply misunderstood—and intentionally overlooked by mainstream medicine. In his own words: “Nicotine alone is four times more ‘anti-inflammatory’ than it is ‘inflammatory.’ It literally turns off pain.”
Scientific research offers some credible support. A 2011 study in the Journal of Translational Medicine showed that nicotine activates the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR), effectively reducing inflammation in cases of obesity and ulcerative colitis. In obese mice, nicotine improved insulin sensitivity and lowered inflammatory markers, while in ulcerative colitis models, it relieved symptoms and gut inflammation.
More recently, a 2022 review in Frontiers in Immunology confirmed nicotine’s broader anti-inflammatory effects. It demonstrated that, particularly in conditions such as ulcerative colitis, sepsis, and arthritis, nicotine tipped the balance toward anti-inflammatory responses through immune cell regulation and the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway.
Supporting animal studies add further detail: in one, nicotine alleviated induced colitis in rats by upregulating α7nAChR expression and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines, yielding much sharper relief than its close chemical relatives. Another research study found that oral nicotine increased beneficial gut metabolites, such as indole, and alleviated colitis symptoms.
Takeaway: Dr. Bryan Ardis is digging up research and making quite a stir with his bold claims about nicotine, reframing it as a nutrient, not an addictive chemical. He highlights studies showing that nicotine—when isolated from the thousands of toxic ingredients in tobacco products—has measurable anti-inflammatory and even cognitive benefits.
This challenges decades of public health messaging that cast nicotine solely as a villain. Emerging scientific evidence supports his point, demonstrating that nicotine can ease inflammation in conditions like ulcerative colitis and other systemic disorders. While controversial, Ardis’s findings are forcing a fresh look at nicotine’s potential as a therapeutic agent, especially when separated from the harmful delivery methods that have long overshadowed its possible benefits. This will be interesting to watch unfold!
