The compound is nicotine.

Nicotine on its own is safe non toxic and healthy!

Most people simply associate it with smoking. However, when removed from cigarettes nicotine is safe, non toxic and provides a number of health benefits.

In a recent test, researchers at Duke University Medical Center picked 11 people who did not smoke, who were experiencing symptoms of depression to use either a nicotine patch or a placebo patch that did not contain nicotine.

Interestingly, those patients who wore the nicotine patch for at least eight days experienced significant declines in their depression scores.

Why Does Nicotine Help With Depression?

The same areas of the brain that are stimulated by nicotine influence our moods, nicotine stimulates the release of specific neurotransmitters in the brain including:

Serotonin, Dopamine and Norepinephrine.

These neuro-transmitters carry messages between nerves cells and depression has been linked to chemical imbalances in these neurotransmitters and nicotine is able to restore balance.

Research

Pharmaceutical companies are aware of this and are already developing nicotine-like drugs that mimic the beneficial properties of nicotine.

These drugs are designed to target brain chemical imbalances, which have been associated with not only depression but other conditions as well, including:

Schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, Attention Deficiency and Parkinson's disease.

Products available

Nicotine is already available in patches, inhalers and gum but perhaps the most interesting product which a number of companies have looked at, is putting pure organic nicotine in water.

Water is one of the safest ways to deliver the nicotine compound and has the added benefit of no other chemicals which for example are present in patches.

Depression affects millions of people worldwide and nicotine provides relief and looks set to take off in popularity not only to combat depression but also a number of other illnesses and conditions.