A cigarette is enough to block the production of estrogen in a woman’s brain – breaking latest news

Just the nicotine contained in one cigarette to block estrogen production in a woman’s brain. The discovery, presented by Swedish researchers from Uppsala University during the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology annual congress in Vienna, could explain a number of differences in the behavior of smokersincluding the fact that they resist more than men when it comes to quitting.

I study

At the heart of the discovery is the thalamus, part of the limbic system, or a complex of brain structures that plays a key role in emotional reactions, behavioral responses, memory processes and smell. Uppsala scholars worked with 10 volunteers who made themselves available to nasally take a dose of nicotine equivalent to the content of a cigarette and at the same time receiving by injection a tracer to verify the production of estrogen. By means of magnetic resonance and brain PETs they were thus able to verify what happens when you smoke. For the first time we were able to verify the mechanisms that lead to the cessation of estrogen hormone production in the female brain – he explained Erika Comasco, head of Swedish research -. He surprised us to see that they were also triggered by the dose of nicotine contained in a single cigarette, thus demonstrating how powerful is the effect of smoking on the brain. a preliminary work, a first step, we are not yet sure what the consequences may be on a behavioral or cognitive level – the neuroscientist specified -, but it is clear that nicotine also acts in this area of ​​the brain, susceptible to addictive substances , such as nicotine. We now want to understand whether there may be a link between smoking and reproductive functions.

Estrogen: what they are for

Estrogen is a group of sex hormonesmainly produced in women but also present in small quantities in men. They play a central role in regularizing menstruation and allowing pregnancy and fertilization: Not only that, for: they stimulate the increase of high density lipoproteins (HDL or good cholesterol) and the synthesis of triglycerides, protecting the vessel walls from arteriosclerotic damage. for this reason that for women until menopause, having more estrogen than men, the risk of cardiovascular disease is lower. They also have many other important roles, including dealing with regulate many brain functions including memory and attention e keep your bones healthyreducing the risk of osteoporosis.

The effects on males and females

Nicotine is an alkaloid which, in addition to giving a high physical and psychological dependence, it can cause tachycardia and vasoconstriction with repercussions on blood pressure. This is a preliminary study that is part of gender medicine, highlighting important differences between men and women regarding the cerebral effects of nicotine – he comments Valentina Di Mattei, associate professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Medicine of the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University -. The hypothesis must be investigated but from a preventive point of view it highlights the weight of individual gestures such as smoking a cigarette. Other studies have already shown that males and females have different reactions to nicotine, with the latter having more difficulty in quitting: they have more relapses and are more resistant to nicotine replacement therapy. then I notice that, compared to non-smokers, smokers enter menopause earlier and have lower estrogen levels in premenopausal blood. The biological causes and bases of these differences have not yet been understood. a research that involved a very small number of participants, so obviously a lot of confirmation is needed – concludes Di Mattei, head of the Clinical Psychology of Health Service at the San Raffaele Hospital -. A useful message right now: the effects of nicotine on the brain are numerous and new ones can be added. Smoking creates a lot of damage to our body and is certainly responsible for over 40 diseases, which cause thousands of deaths every year. Nicotine is a real drug. this is why it is much easier to start smoking than to quit, but asking for help (for example from the experts of the Anti-smoking centers) is easier.