Several studies have reported that smoking lowers body weight and body mass index, which makes many people reluctant to quit. The finding that smoking lowers body weight but increases rates of diabetes, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease is an intriguing paradox. The effect of nicotine on body weight and fat composition in rodents consuming a high-fat diet (HFD) has not been well studied.

Mangubat et al. examined the effect of nicotine vs saline on body weight and fat composition in mice fed with either an HFD or a standard normal chow diet. They observed that nicotine exposure reduced HFD-induced weight gain and further led to lower amounts of body fat and a more favourable distribution of body fat (a trend toward more subcutaneous and less visceral fat). Thus, superficially, it might appear that the HFD plus nicotine is actually a more beneficial combination than HFD alone. Mangubat et al. (2012) Journal of Endocrinology 212 317-326.

Read the full article at: DOI: 10.1530/JOE-11-0350