In this article, we’ll run through the typical caffeine contents of energy pouches and compare them to the quantities found in other caffeine products and the upper limit per day.
There’s a fair bit of confusion about what caffeine pouches are (and what they aren’t), so let’s take a few moments to get on the same page.
Caffeine pouches (such as Wakey pouches or Scooper pouches) are an alternative to nicotine pouches. They boast the same format and similar flavours, but none of the nicotine.
However, they differ from some other types of nicotine-free pouches because they replace the nicotine with caffeine. Meanwhile, options like VELO Breezy Mango Zero simply contain various flavourings.
While caffeine and nicotine are different substances, they both provide an energising effect, which means the two products provide a somewhat similar experience.
This can make caffeine pouches popular among those trying to transition away from nicotine who are finding it tough to move away from the “buzz.”
Caffeine pouches are a completely different product from coffee pouches, which contain the coffee flavour without the caffeine itself.
Most caffeine pouches boast sweet, fruity, or minty flavours rather than a coffee-based taste profile. But never say never!
To figure out how many caffeine pouches it’s safe to consume, let’s start by looking at the upper limit of caffeine consumption.
As a general guideline, 400mg of caffeine is the upper limit. But everyone is different — some people are particularly sensitive to caffeine, and certain groups should limit their caffeine further.
For instance, pregnant women should keep caffeine under 200mg per day.
Now that we have a basic idea of what to expect from caffeine doses themselves, let’s turn back to energy pouches.
Scooper energy pouches such as Scooper Energy Fresh Mint contain 80mg of caffeine per pouch. That means that, if someone consumed 100% of their caffeine from the pouches, they could probably consume five pouches per day without experiencing any problems.
WAKEY pouches like WAKEY Cosmic Cola are less strong, with a caffeine dose of 50mg per pouch. This would mean that a non-caffeine consumer could consume as many as eight pouches per day.
But remember, this is assuming somebody only gets caffeine from pouches. As we’ll soon see, this is very unlikely.
To start to pull together a more accurate picture of how much caffeine to consume, it’s crucial to know the amount that comes from other sources.
Spoiler: it might be more than you think!
When most people think “caffeine,” they think coffee. But exactly how much does a typical drink contain?
In Starbucks UK products, the doses are as follows:
Bear in mind these are approximate values since baristas aren’t robots.
For those who make instant coffee at home, the caffeine contents are likely to be much lower. A mug of instant coffee will likely contain around 30mg, though it varies depending on the brand and how generous a serving the coffee maker places on their spoon.
Even “decaf” products contain small amounts of caffeine. A decaffeinated caffe latte grande from Starbucks still contains around 3.6mg of caffeine.
Coffee isn’t the only beverage that contains caffeine. Some other popular caffeinated drinks include:
Clearly, anyone who regularly drinks one or more of these caffeinated drinks could go a long way toward their final caffeine limit without a single caffeine pouch.
Then there’s chocolate.
The caffeine content in chocolate varies widely depending on the concentration of cocoa — while 100 grams of 100% cocoa chocolate contains 240 mg of caffeine, most people can’t handle the bitterness.
In milk chocolate, the same quantity provides around 45 mg of caffeine. That’s a lot less, but considerable for any major chocolate fans.
There may be small traces of caffeine in the following products:
Now for some final words. Based on the analysis above, it might seem tempting to try and calculate the exact amount of caffeine
But since there’s so much variation of how much caffeine any given product contains and most people aren’t weighing out their food or drink, it’s practically impossible to be accurate.
Err on the side of caution when working out how many pouches to consume. It’s best to start off slow, so anyone new to caffeine pouches should begin with one pouch per day.
Also, listen to your body. Someone might be 100% sure they’re using less than the upper limit of caffeine and still feel negative effects.
Some common side effects of excess caffeine consumption to look out for include:
In summary:
The nicotine absorption process is somewhat more complex, but it’s important to understand — especially for those who want to switch from other nicotine products to pouches. Let’s break it down.
Absorption is one key to the intensity and duration of a nicotine experience. Let’s examine the basics.
Nicotine can be absorbed in many ways, including through the lungs and the skin. In the case of nicotine pouches, the mouth plays this role. Users place nicotine pouches below their upper lip, and they absorb nicotine through the oral mucosa (the lining of the mouth).
Then, nicotine enters the bloodstream and is distributed to tissues and organs, including the brain. This activates some of the body’s reward systems, increasing dopamine concentration. It also stimulates the adrenal glands, which release adrenaline.
As the absorption process continues, nicotine levels in the brain and blood rise, and the peak of this sensation is sometimes known as a "nicotine rush".
Humans already have a small amount of nicotine in their plasma that comes from various plants — around 2.1 nanograms per milliliter. The use of nicotine products increases this, and levels can reach up to 29 ng/mL from nicotine pouch consumption.
Over time, these levels reduce, and the pouch sensation wears off.
The nicotine absorption process itself may be fairly consistent, but the speed and efficiency at which it takes place can vary considerably.
This will depend on:
This article will run through each factor in greater detail.
Nicotine salt occurs naturally in tobacco leaves. To use it in nicotine products, the salt is generally extracted from the plant (or, in the case of synthetically created nicotine, from the lab) and blended with an acid like citric acid or benzoic acid.
Meanwhile, freebase nicotine is nicotine salt with the salt protons stripped away, creating a more “pure” form of nicotine. It’s often found in cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
A study focused on e-liquids and vaping found that nicotine salts are absorbed 30-40% faster than freebase nicotine. They also resulted in users reaching peak nicotine levels more quickly and having a higher concentration of nicotine in their bloodstream.
Why? The chemical structure of nicotine salts may make nicotine salt more bioavailable, therefore aiding absorption.
Users who want to absorb as much nicotine as possible will be pleased to learn that nicotine pouches generally contain nicotine salt.
Different nicotine products boast different absorption rates, partly due to the absorption methods they use and partly due to their design.
On average, a smoker absorbs 1-2 milligrams of nicotine per cigarette, which is only around 10% of the total nicotine contained. The nicotine is also absorbed very quickly, with the nicotine going from the lungs to the bloodstream in a matter of seconds.
Nicotine pouches have a higher absorption rate of 25-30% since absorption happens through the mouth’s mucous membranes (the inner lining of the mouth). As there are a lot of blood vessels in the mouth, this is a relatively effective absorption method.
Meanwhile, nicotine patches have one of the highest absorption rates, at 75-80%. However, the skin absorbs nicotine much more slowly, with the release taking up to 24 hours compared to the 30-60 minutes from nicotine pouches.
Based on the absorption rates outlined above, a user could expect to receive the following amounts of nicotine if they consumed a nicotine pouch with the stated contents:
But remember, these are just rough estimations. As we’ll soon examine, the reality of absorption partly comes down to specifics.
The body impacts absorption — and everyone’s works a little differently.
We mostly rely on the liver to metabolise nicotine, although the lungs, brain, kidneys, and respiratory membranes may also play a role. Some bodies metabolise faster than others, which affects absorption.
Body mass and genetic components may also play a role in how resistant we are to nicotine.
Plus, as someone uses more nicotine, their body’s response to the substance may change.
Even the same person may absorb two nicotine pouches differently.
One factor is the pH level. When nicotine is slightly alkaline, the body absorbs it more efficiently. For this reason, manufacturers add pH stabilizers to nicotine pouches.
Another aspect that affects nicotine pouch strength and absorption is moisture content. Dry pouches release nicotine more slowly than moist pouches, and they also tend to have better absorption rates.
Finally, pouches with a larger surface area allow the mucous membranes to absorb more nicotine.
Understanding nicotine absorption is an essential part of being able to select the right product and know how many nicotine pouches per day to consume. People generally absorb 25% to 30% of nicotine pouch contents, with the exact absorption rates depending on factors like the type of pouch used and the person using them.
]]>Nicotine is naturally found in many plants, including tobacco and vegetables like potatoes. It’s an alkaloid that has been used for hundreds of years through tobacco use. As of recent, nicotine has begun to be isolated from tobacco and produced synthetically, used in tobacco-free products due to the harmful effects of tobacco use.
Nicotine is the substance in the likes of nicotine pouches, vapes, and cigarettes, responsible for the “pleasant” feeling caused by said products. This is enabled by nicotine interacting with the brain, leading to the release of dopamine - increasing activity in the “pleasure centre”.
Metabolism isn’t as simple as one substance. It’s a network of different bodily systems and serves one function - converting what you drink and eat into energy. This term describes an essential process in the body that fuels your day-to-day life. It connects many cellular pathways involved in converting food into energy, building up energy stores and breaking them down to free up energy. But how is this connected with your appetite, and how does nicotine affect this string of pathways?
Everyone's metabolism is different and is affected by multiple factors. As stated above, your metabolism defines a network of pathways that convert what we eat to energy, and because of the pathways involved, there are many stages at which factors can influence it.
Some of these factors that influence our metabolism include:
These are only a handful of different factors that can alter one's metabolic rate. But as stated above, drugs have an effect, some of which include caffeine and, more importantly, nicotine.
Individuals' metabolism can vary as it can be quicker or slower than others, and your appetite depicts how hungry you are and, in turn, the amount you eat. A study has shown that
The higher your resting metabolic rate (RMR), the hungrier you are and the more you eat.
However, this is just a correlation, and other factors affect hunger, highlighting that this isn’t a single cause-and-effect relationship but a string of interconnected substances and pathways.
Research has shown that nicotine can increase your metabolic rate and, as a result, you can burn calories faster when using products like cigarettes and nicotine pouches. However, there is no conclusive evidence of nicotine affecting your appetite.
So, if nicotine doesn’t increase your appetite, why do so many put weight on when they stop using nicotine?
The answer is simple. When we stop our nicotine intake, in some cases, our metabolism reduces, meaning we burn fewer calories. So, by inferring, if we eat and exercise the same amount as when we used nicotine, fewer calories will be burnt, meaning we may gain weight. However, the extremity of this weight gain will differ between individuals, and some may not experience it at all.
Nicotine pouches do contain nicotine. Therefore, the effects of this alkaloid mentioned above should also be present in nicotine pouches. Although no research has directly investigated the effects of nicotine pouches on metabolism and appetite, we can infer that they can have the same effect in some cases.
In theory, if nicotine speeds up your metabolism, the more that’s in your system, the faster your metabolism. So, the stronger nicotine pouches may have a more profound effect on your metabolism and appetite. However, there will be a ceiling to this, and these effects will differ between users.
All the information above is a lot to digest. Still, it can simplified into the bullet points below, providing the fundamentals needed to understand nicotine, metabolism, appetite, and how they are related and affect one another.
This topic isn’t fully understood as metabolism is a complex process, and many pathways within our metabolism can be affected. So, nicotine may not be the only factor contributing to the change in your metabolism.
]]>While Sweden has always been the home of most manufacturing, the increased popularity of nicotine pouches worldwide means production has expanded further. Let’s take a tour across the world to see which other countries are responsible for making the best nicotine pouches.
The history of nicotine pouches traces back to Sweden. Before nicotine pouches existed, there was snus: a formulation of tobacco and other flavours that Swedes have consumed since the early eighteenth century.
However, snus had a few disadvantages, such as staining the teeth and causing bad breath. Nicotine pouches emerged as an alternative — unlike snus, they’re tobacco-free, making them a better choice for oral hygiene.
Since snus was primarily produced and consumed in Sweden, it stands to reason that the first producers and consumers of nicotine pouches would also be Swedish.
Nicotine pouches have recently experienced a surge in global demand — in 2023, the US was the biggest nicotine pouches consumer in the world (followed by Sweden, Denmark, Pakistan, and Austria).
But despite consumption spreading across the continents, most manufacturing still happens in Sweden, and the label “made in Sweden” has come to be synonymous with “quality.”
Pick a nicotine pouch at random, and chances are that it was made in Sweden.
For instance, Swedish company Winnington AB was the original manufacturer of the market-leading nicotine pouch brand VELO. While British American Tobacco (BAT) is VELO’s new owner and VELO now has multiple factories, it continues to base its operations in the Nordic nation.
Some other popular nicotine pouch brands that carry out their manufacturing in Sweden include:
As Sweden’s neighbour, it’s unsurprising that nicotine pouch production and consumption spread to Finland.
The “Land of a Thousand Lakes” is home to the nicotine pouch brand Puff and Pouch, a family business based in Helsinki. Puff and Pouch emphasises production standards and premium materials, proving that “Finnish quality” is in no way inferior to “Swedish quality” when it comes to nicotine pouch brands.
Fellow Scandinavian country Denmark is the third-largest market for nicotine pouch consumption, and it’s also home to a few nicotine pouch manufacturers.
One of them is the Ministry of Snus, which produces the popular Ace nicotine pouches. Denmark has a reputation for being a forward-thinking country, so it’s a fitting home for the quirky manufacturer. Ministry of Snus was founded on the principles of providing “one ministry for all” and giving a voice to its customers to ensure it provides a product people want.
Another Danish brand is WAKEY, which produces nicotine-free pouches that contain caffeine, therefore giving users an energy boost. While WAKEY isn’t technically a nicotine pouch manufacturer, its nicotine-free approach proves that countries outside of Sweden are now at the forefront of innovation.
While most nicotine pouch brands come from Nordic countries, there are exceptions. For instance, 77 nicotine pouches (77 is a brand name, not a number) are made in Poland.
77 pouches are manufactured at the Tobacco Concept Factory, which has existing experience in oral tobacco products. The brand applies Swedish quality standards to ensure its production is top-notch.
77 is pushing the boundaries with its innovative products and deserves to be known for more than just being a nicotine pouch brand that manufactures its products outside of Scandinavia. Its pouches offer completely invisible usage, and they come in a vast array of flavours, from 77 Cola & Vanilla to 77 Black Currant.
Estonia has a tiny population of just over one million, making it the smallest nation on this list. But that hasn’t stopped it from making its mark on the world of nicotine pouches!
Showing that the Baltic nations can also do nicotine pouches well as the Nordics is the Estonian brand NOIS. The company’s manufacturer, HRJ Production OÜ, is based in Tallinn and follows strict quality control standards. Its delicious taste profiles demonstrate this firsthand, with both fruity and mint flavours on offer.
Nicotine pouches might be a relatively new phenomenon in the US, but that hasn’t stopped the country from catching up fast.
ZYN nicotine pouches are hugely popular in the US, selling 350 million products in 2023. Although ZYN was originally made by Swedish Match in Sweden, its surge in popularity across the Atlantic has made it efficient for ZYN to carry out some of its production in the US.
ZYN has opened a factory in Kentucky to make nicotine pouches for the US market (although ZYN still carries out production in Sweden too).
At their heart, nicotine pouches are a Swedish product, and the majority of products are still made in Sweden or its Nordic neighbours.
But whether you want to follow tradition by sticking to Swedish nicotine pouches or experiment with products made in other countries, there’s never been more choice.
]]>Nicotine pouch sustainability is affected by several variables, including the customer's education and how they dispose of the product. But here, the focus is on the company producing the nicotine pouches, not the consumer actions. In turn, the key factors that affect the impact a nicotine pouch-producing company has on the environment include:
Each of these factors is explored in greater detail, along with other comparisons and key points of interest, supplying all the information needed on the environmental impact of nicotine pouches.
Nicotine pouches are made in mostly automated factories powered by electricity. Like anything that uses electricity, if not from a sustainable source, carbon dioxide is emitted, adding to the growing amount of greenhouse gases. This is a problem in every walk of life, from entertainment to travel to producing all kinds of consumables. However, some companies are combatting this by using renewable energy.
A prime example of using a renewable energy source is Nordic Snus AB, a manufacturer of popular Swedish Snus brands. Its facility is an old mill, renovated in 2000, and it uses hydropower to fuel its snus production. And other companies do something similar.
The materials used are another factor affecting pouch sustainability. These affect the environment as how they are sourced, harvested, and degraded is important when considering sustainability. The material may not be biodegradable, ethically farmed, or sourced from an environmentally friendly farm. All of which impacts the end product's carbon footprint.
Nicotine pouches are viewed as more sustainable because they use biodegradable fibres. However, the entire nicotine pouch isn’t biodegradable as the sachets are made from a different material, unlike the contents. Many brands use different plant materials for their contents, but the majority use:
Cellulose, along with Pine and/or Eucalyptus
COCO nicotine pouches take this an extra step by using a completely different material, never used before. This brand uses coconut fibres, creating an even more natural and less refined product for you to enjoy.
It's not only pouch material that matters, as the container is part of the deal, too. Unlike the sachets, mostly made from biodegradable and food-grade materials - the container is not. Some cans are made from non-recyclable plastic, even though this is a small few. But one company has taken this an extra step.
Another Snus Factory houses its nicotine pouch brands in its trademarked PlantCan, created from plant-based plastic with pine tree oil gathered from the waste material of the foresting industry.
The two nicotine pouch brands that use this revolutionary PlantCan are LOOP nicotine pouches and their new venture as of 2024, Lynx nicotine pouches.
One way nicotine pouches increase their carbon footprint is through shipping, especially with international orders. As well as shipping the final product, businesses use materials transported from different places to create the nicotine pouch. All of which produce and release CO2, creating a carbon footprint. A way to combat this is through offsetting it.
A popular way to combat this is by planting trees, which ultimately helps reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. A big company that does this is JTI and the producers of WAKEY pouches, who are planting around 10000 trees in the Saltofte Gods in Denmark, providing a source to sequester the CO2 produced by shipping its products.
Many nicotine pouch brands are created by the same company and the majority of these businesses have an environmental focus, with some doing more than others. Below, a few are named with the brands of nicotine pouches they produce, allowing you to see the brands with a positive stance on sustainability as well as those mentioned above.
British American Tobacco (BAT) is a multinational tobacco company that has moved its sustainability focus to the forefront of the business. Benefitting from this is one of the most popular nicotine pouch brands on the market, VELO nicotine pouches. BAT aims to address climate change and has set certain targets, including:
With these aims, BAT shows how focused it is on reducing its carbon footprint and making its nicotine pouch brands, like VELO, as sustainable as possible.
Altria is a major American corporation that sells tobacco, cigarettes, and related products like nicotine pouches. It has a firm stance on climate change and states that ‘humans are the primary cause and inaction is not an option’. This strong stance on the matter has led the company to want to be powered by 100% renewable electricity.
If so, then the nicotine pouch brands it manufactures, such as On! Nicotine pouches will be made with renewable energy in 2030, reducing the impact of the brand on the environment.
With all the information above, nicotine pouches are becoming a more sustainable option. How do they compare with products like cigarettes? Tobacco is still needed for nicotine pouches as nicotine is extracted from the leaf, meaning deforestation and water contamination caused by tobacco farming are relevant for both products. However, two key differences between these two products affect their environmental impact.
Below is the information needed to understand these factors’ effects on the environment and how they differ, providing the information you need to deduce which product affects the environment the most.
The first difference is how they’re used. Cigarettes are smoked, unlike nicotine pouches, which release toxic chemicals when used, affecting both the environment and those around you. Smoking cigarettes increases air pollution, and once smoked, a single cigarette is responsible for the equivalent of 14 grams of CO2 emissions. This figure doesn't seem a lot, but if a pack a day was smoked for 50 years, that’s 5.1 million grams of CO2 emissions.
Another difference is how they are used. Cigarettes are smoked, and once finished, you’re left with a butt made from a type of plastic that takes years to degrade. When bins are far away, cigarette buts are thrown on the floor and littered. Whereas nicotine pouches have a catch lid if a bin is not near, allowing you to dispose of them correctly when finished.
4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered each year.
These butts end up in waterways, oceans, and streets, polluting many areas and contaminating them with the harmful chemicals, like arsenic, they are made from.
The information shows there are clear steps that need to be taken for nicotine pouches to become more eco-friendly. These include:
Once these steps have been undertaken, nicotine pouches will reduce their environmental impact as tobacco farming is a huge contributor to CO2 emissions, and not being biodegradable or recyclable tarnishes the product's sustainability.
]]>Nicotine is closely associated with smoking and cigarettes, so many people assume that nicotine pouches contain tobacco. Perhaps this is unsurprising when tobacco companies own various nicotine pouch brands — for instead, British American Tobacco produces VELO nicotine pouches.
In reality, nicotine pouches are a tobacco-free product. Their main ingredients are nicotine, flavouring, and plant-based fibres (used to make the pouches themselves).
There’s no reason you can’t use multiple types of nicotine products. Given the total amount of nicotine you consume is the same, there’s no difference between getting your nicotine intake from two nicotine pouches versus one nicotine pouch and one e-cigarette or nicotine patch.
However, this isn’t to say that you can consume nicotine products in unlimited quantities without consequences. It’s best to avoid using two or more products simultaneously.
Some people are nervous about placing nicotine pouches in their mouths as they believe that swallowing a pouch by accident could be dangerous.
Fortunately, most nicotine pouches are made from natural ingredients and plant fibres, so they won’t cause any serious harm if swallowed. While excessive amounts of nicotine pouches can lead to nicotine poisoning, swallowing a single pouch by accident is unlikely to cause the average person any issues.
Chewing tobacco (also known as snuff) makes the mouth produce a lot of saliva, which users spit out since it’s unsafe to consume. Because nicotine pouches are also placed in the mouth, a common misconception is that users must also spit when consuming them.
However, this isn’t the case. Since nicotine pouches themselves are technically safe to swallow (although, you shouldn’t), there are no concerns with consuming the saliva they produce. Besides, while pouches result in some salivation, modern designs prevent excessive dripping. For instance, many nicotine pouches have dry contents, which results in a slower release with less messiness.
Snus vs nicotine pouches is a common point of confusion. They’re both products that users place under the upper lip to consume, and they often have a similar appearance, but the two items aren’t interchangeable.
As mentioned, nicotine pouches are tobacco-free. Meanwhile, tobacco is a key ingredient in traditional Swedish snus. This means nicotine pouches are fresher, cause less staining, and come in a wider variety of flavours.
Due to the confusion around snus and other nicotine products, some people believe nicotine pouches are illegal. The European Union has banned snus since 1992 (although Sweden is exempt), and the substance is also illegal in the United Kingdom.
However, the EU is primarily concerned with tobacco for oral use, which means nicotine pouches have the green light. There’s no EU-wide ban, although individual countries have taken action. For instance, the Netherlands has plans to prohibit them.
Everyone wants their favourite products to last as long as possible and retain their full flavour, and tobacco-based products are refrigerated since they’re perishable. Fortunately, you don’t need to refrigerate nicotine pouches — room temperature is fine.
This isn’t to say that nicotine pouches last forever. They will dry out eventually, so if you’re going to take a long time to finish a can, you may want to consider refrigeration.
While some people think nicotine pouches are illegal, others go to the other extreme and think the industry is a kind of Wild West, exempt from regulations. This simply isn’t true. Different countries regulate differently, but many have regulations in place.
Plus, most companies go above and beyond for product safety.
When the average person thinks of nicotine pouches, they probably imagine a trendy youngster partaking in the “next big thing.” It’s true that many nicotine pouch users are on the young side, and many brands cater to this with bold, modern designs (such as the VELO Cinnamon Flame).
But does that mean that young people are the only ones using nicotine pouches? Absolutely not — all demographics have turned to the products for varying reasons. For instance, any older people who are long-term users of snus or cigarettes turn to nicotine pouches as a way to reduce consumption.
If you’ve never used oral nicotine products before, the prospect of putting a pouch underneath your upper lip might sound uncomfortable. However, most pouches are made from soft materials that won’t irritate your gums and have a slim design that feels noninvasive.
You can also opt for mini nicotine pouches, which have an even smaller size.
]]>It is generally the feeling users get when using nicotine pouches. It is caused by a rush of “feel good” hormones and adrenaline, mentioned further down in the article, producing:
A light feeling in your head and body, and the adrenaline causes the subtle rush some may experience.
People process and react to nicotine differently due to differences in metabolism and hydration level, to give a few examples. Therefore, not everyone will associate it with the same feeling, as it may be more or less intense and feel slightly different. So, the feeling of a nicotine rush is not universal amongst pouch users.
It has two components. An adrenaline release provides the “rush”, and a dopamine release causes a light feeling in your head and body. Both processes are caused by nicotine entering your system. Below, each is detailed, allowing you to understand the biological intricacies.
Feel good hormone release:
Adrenaline release:
Together, adrenaline and dopamine release create what you know and may have experienced to be the nicotine rush.
A nicotine rush is felt when the nicotine has entered your system. Typically, this is around 2 minutes. However, different pouch characteristics will affect this time. Some of those are strength, pouch moisture, and portion size, as each affects nicotine absorption. Therefore:
A potent, moist, and large pouch will deliver this sensation faster compared to a smaller and dryer portion.
However, this is not advised, as using a potent product may cause adverse effects and the need for more nicotine to nullify cravings, as explored further in the article.
The amount of nicotine needed to experience a rush is dependent on your nicotine tolerance. Therefore, if you have a high tolerance, more of the substance is needed. However, you must be careful not to chase the nicotine rush as you may encounter side effects if you begin to use strong nicotine pouches. This will only lead to you needing stronger products over time, which is not recommended.
If you begin to chase the nicotine rush by using more potent products, which is not advised, nicotine side effects will become present. The side effects occur when too much nicotine is ingested at once. What are these adverse effects?
It is important to note that these effects only last around 30 minutes until the levels in your system have reduced. This is why we recommend not to chase this sensation.
Encountering side effects isn’t the only reason to stop chasing the “rush”. Eventually, your tolerance will increase and you will find yourself at a peak, regardless of how many times you up the dosage. This will carry on until there isn’t a more potent product.
We recommend that users find a balance when using nicotine pouches. Use a product that reduces craving but doesn’t lead to you upping the potency of your portions.
A rush can become intense if too much nicotine is absorbed. In that case, you may want to reduce this intensity and reduce the chances of experiencing the adverse effects.
These two processes will help reduce the intensity of it.
]]>According to Drug Science nicotine is a highly addictive chemical compound. It is found naturally in tobacco plants and serves as a natural insecticide. It belongs to a family of compounds called alkaloids, naturally occurring organic substances that contain nitrogen. Other alkaloids include other drugs, like morphine. Even though nicotine is a natural compound, today, we can synthetically produce this substance too.
As touched upon previously, nicotine is found naturally in tobacco. It may be a surprise, but nicotine naturally occurs in many plants, such as tomatoes and potatoes. How do tobacco-free nicotine pouches contain nicotine if they don’t have any tobacco in them? The answer is detailed below:
You may ask why they only extract nicotine from tobacco plants, not aubergines or tomatoes. It’s a simple answer - the nicotine concentration in tobacco is far higher than that in tomatoes or other plants.
Initially, when nicotine could not be extracted from the Nicotiana Tabacum plant (tobacco) and the health risks associated with tobacco use were not as researched as they are today, many tobacco products were available, such as:
You would have heard of some of these products before, like cigarettes and cigars. Both are combustible products, where the tobacco is lit and smoked. However, unfamiliar products like chew, for example, aren’t smoked but are broken down by your saliva.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has highlighted that over the years, the number of people using these types of products has declined because of the vast amount of research that has been carried out on tobacco and its consumption. But there was a problem, people found it hard to stop using these products and needed another nicotine-containing product to use to aid this transition.
Similarly, with tobacco, some you smoke and others you don’t. Below are the more popular products, and are listed, that users across the world use.
The ability for people to use these products has stemmed from science and its ability to extract nicotine from the tobacco plant, as well as make it synthetically. Some of the products above, including nicotine gum and patches, are classed as nicotine replacement therapy and for those wishing to ditch nicotine altogether. However, vapes and nicotine pouches are not in this category and are enjoyed in many different flavours and strengths.
As the nicotine enters your system, it causes an increase in neurotransmitter release in your brain, some of which are serotonin and dopamine. This influx of “feel good” hormones causes the lightheadedness and that “good” feeling you experience. However, this nicotine rush is not a good thing. It gets people hooked because they chase the “nicotine rush” and use the product more and more, which can lead you to experience the side effects of nicotine, too.
Nicotine products can cause negative adverse effects when you use them, especially if it’s your first time. You may know some of them, but if not, the frequent nicotine pouch side effects are below.
You may have used nicotine and not experienced these adverse effects before. These side effects occur when too much nicotine is absorbed at once, often when users use a product that is too strong for them. In turn, if or when you use a nicotine product, ensure you get one that is in line with your nicotine tolerance.
Nicotine is a compound that can be very harmful to humans. However, to reach the point where nicotine can cause deadly cardiovascular or respiratory problems, the amount of nicotine needed in your body would be a lot. So don’t panic. Although nicotine isn’t a “healthy” substance, for it to cause the issues mentioned above, it would need to be used in copious amounts, far more than “normal” usage.
Yes, nicotine is addictive and is another one of the compound's adverse effects. But how and why is nicotine addictive?
Nicotine increases dopamine levels within your brain - quickly.
This sudden rush causes a temporary good feeling - a nicotine rush.
When nicotine levels decrease, the cycle of craving is triggered.
Another significant bit of information is that the addictiveness of different nicotine-containing products isn’t the same either.
In short, yes. Monoamine Oxidase (MAO) is an enzyme that degrades monoamines, including those released by nicotine. It is hypothesised that the inhibition of this enzyme increases the reinforcing properties of nicotine. However, MAO inhibitors (MAOIs) are only found in tobacco, meaning they are not in nicotine pouches. Therefore, research suggests that cigarettes and snus are more addictive than nicotine pouches because they contain MAOIs.
Nicotine pouches are growing in popularity and slowly becoming one of the most used nicotine products on the market. One of the best-selling brands is VELO nicotine pouches, with many reasons for this brand and nicotine pouch's popularity in general listed below.
Variety and convenience
It may sound too simple, but it’s a fact. Nicotine pouches are so popular because there is a range of brands, flavours, strengths, and sizes available - suiting all preferences. Moreover, they’re convenient because they’re easy to use, and you can enjoy them anywhere you wish, providing all the freedom you need.
]]>Nicotine is a natural compound found in tobacco and nightshade plants but can be synthetically made in a lab. The substance has many different effects on the body, such as temporarily improving cognitive function and increasing dopamine levels in the brain. However, if nicotine is used consistently, it becomes addictive, leading to some withdrawal symptoms. What’s more, as you may have noticed by the article title, it does have a few side effects too.
All brands have similar ingredients to each other, but depending on the pouch's size, strength and flavour, the ratios of each element may differ between each brand and its products. So with this in mind, each brand, whether VELO or LOOP, will emit the same side effects. However, as mentioned previously, the nicotine content will set each product’s effects apart, so make sure you check this before you buy your pouch.
Nicotine is found in many tobacco products like cigarettes, but nicotine pouches are much more appealing to use for the reasons stated below, and this is why people still use nicotine portions despite the side effects they may have.
Therefore, if you need a “cleaner” product instead of cigarettes, a tobacco-free replacement, like ZYN, is a step in the right direction. In turn, nicotine pouches may have a use other than being recreational for those 6.1 million cigarette users in the UK and many more across the globe.
Nicotine portions are considered a good substitute for other products like cigarettes because they don’t contain tobacco and aren’t combustible. So, if you were to replace cigarettes with this tobacco-free alternative, you would be getting a product that is hypothetically cleaner due to the product not producing smoke. Also, it would not impact those around you, making it more of a socially acceptable product too. Moreover, they are tobacco-free, so stained teeth and bad breath are not caused after use, showing you a handful of positives that nicotine pouch use has over other tobacco products. But as we know, nicotine does have side effects of its own.
As mentioned briefly earlier, nicotine does have its side effects. However, these side effects only occur if too much of the substance is used at once or over a prolonged period. These are discussed below.
Addictive
Similarly, tobacco-containing products are as addictive as tobacco-free portions because of the nicotine contained in them. Even though some nicotine pouches contain synthetically made nicotine instead of tobacco-derived, it's still the same compound. So when or if you use nicotine, bear this in mind.
Nausea and Hiccups
If too much nicotine is absorbed, the so-called “buzz” can be overpowering and overload your senses, leaving you with hiccups and a nauseous feeling. Although this does not last for long, once the nicotine has worn off, so does this uncomfortable feeling, usually around 45 minutes to an hour.
With everything, you need to use it in moderation, as these effects only occur if you have too much at once. So make sure you understand the strength and use a product that isn't too strong for you, so if you're a beginner, use newbie pouches initially to get your bearings. You also need to be careful as you may become addicted so ensure you limit your use. Alternatively, you could not use nicotine altogether and opt for a nicotine-free portion.
Why worry about nicotine side effects if you don’t need to? If you want the portion experience, nicotine and tobacco-free pouches are available, enabling you to enjoy the burst of flavour without the adverse effects. If you want a little extra, WAKEY energy pouches contain caffeine, which is perfect if you are low on energy or need a little energy kick.
]]>There is so much more to consider other than how to understand the nicotine content when determining the strength of a pouch! Knowing which factors can determine the potency of your favourite product can help you to choose products that are the perfect strength for you, for a satisfying experience every time.
"How can I know how strong a nicotine pouch will be?"
The short, but also slightly misleading answer here is nicotine content! High mg/g or mg/pouch values mean that there is a high concentration of nicotine in the nicotine pouch. However, the truth is that these values are not always representative of how strong the nicotine pouch will feel to you. Why? This is because of the perceived strength phenomenon that is affected by several factors, listed further down.
Sometimes, two nicotine pouches will be dosed with the same nicotine mg/g or pouch, but one will feel much stronger than the other. Perceived strength can explain this disparity. Perceived strength simply refers to how strong a nicotine pouch feels to you, without considering nicotine content, which is what matters the most!
Now that you know mg/g and mg/pouch values are reliable indicators of actual strength, let us take a look at the three most important factors that can determine perceived strength, regardless of total nicotine content:
If after reading this article you seek the thrill of a strong nicotine kick, check out this list of some of the best and most popular strong nicotine pouches in the EU!
It is important to know that stronger is not always better. There are many other aspects of nicotine pouches to enjoy aside from the buzz - like flavour, aroma, mouthfeel, and can-design! The best type of nicotine pouches for beginners should have the following qualities:
Over time, if you decide to dip your toes into the strong nicotine pouch category, that is fine. But for now, take a look at our newbie pouches list that we have put together for you!
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