Nicotine, an addictive stimulant found in the tobacco plant, can increase the release of dopamine and other neurotransmitters in the brain. But claims that the chemical is not addictive and can prevent or cure multiple neurological diseases -- such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and glioblastoma brain tumors -- are false. While scientists are exploring the potential effects of nicotine on cognition, experts say the assertions of curative properties are false.
"Nicotine is not addictive. Parkinson's disease can be prevented and can be cured, and its symptoms reversed, with nicotine alone," health influencer Byran Ardis says in a video teasing an episode of the "Culture Apothecary" podcast from Alex Clark, a leading voice in the "Make America Healthy Again" movement, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
Ardis, whom AFP has previously fact-checked for spreading health misinformation, goes on to claim: "Nicotine is known by medical science to be a curative agent and a preventative agent for Alzheimer's. Did you know nicotine could also cure the symptoms of hypothyroidism?" He also asserts that "glioblastomas were proven in 2021 to be cured by nicotine alone."
The clip has attracted tens of thousands of interactions on Instagram since May 19, 2025. Ardis's endorsement of nicotine patches continued to be shared across platforms in July, alongside other edits of the conversation, including one Clark posted on YouTube.
But nicotine is an addictive chemical, and the only use for...
On July 7, U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon imposed a judgment of $949 million against CVS Health and its subsidiary, OmniCare Inc., after a jury found the defendants liable under the... To view...