The snus effect: What effects does the Swedish trend tobacco have on the body?

The Swedish snus is a sucking tobacco and enjoys ever greater popularity - even in the professional sports sector. We want to take a closer look at the snus effect and clarify the question why professional athletes of all people consume snus regularly.

Snus effect in detail

Ingredients and dosage form

Snus is a lozenge or oral tobacco. It is either portioned by hand, or as a pre-packed pouch (so-called nicotine pouches) placed in the mouth and placed under the upper lip, where the tobacco can be left for up to an hour.

As soon as the tobacco is moistened by the saliva, the ingredients dissolve from it, which in the case of snus is mostly nicotine. This passes through the oral mucosa into the bloodstream and finally into the brain. There, dopamine - a happiness hormone - is released and a positive feeling sets in.

The snus effect is therefore comparable to that of a cigarette, although with snus you have the advantage that only nicotine is ingested and no other harmful ingredients that are produced when tobacco is burned, e.g. tar, which can cause lung cancer.

It should be noted that there is also tobacco-free snus. This contains plant fibers mixed with nicotine salts instead of tobacco. The effect is exactly the same as the real Swedish snus made from tobacco.

Dosage

Snus can be portioned by the user or taken in the form of a so-called nicotine pouch. The sachets are available in different sizes, which contain different amounts of snus. There are also different types of snus, which have different nicotine strengths - similar to cigarettes. The strength is indicated on the package for high-quality snus (e.g. Velo Snus).

If you have never used nicotine before, you should start with a low strength so that the snus effect is not too strong. Ingesting large amounts of nicotine can cause dizziness and nausea. The first consumption of snus may also cause a burning sensation in the mouth, but this quickly subsides and no longer occurs with further consumption.

In case of nicotine overdose, nicotine poisoning may occur, which requires medical treatment. Therefore, especially newcomers should not overdo it with the snus and first take only a small dose.

If you want to buy high-quality snus, contact a specialist retailer. In Germany, the tobacco-free variant - the so-called nicotine pouches - is freely available. An established brand is e.g. Velo Snuswhich was formerly known as Lyft Snus.

Effect of nicotine

Snus, like a cigarette, is not a psychedelic drug. This means that you do not get high from the snus effect, nor do you get hallucinations from it. So, unlike drugs, snus is rather harmless because it only contains nicotine as an active ingredient.

Nicotine is an addictive substance that is addictive when consumed regularly. It triggers a feeling of happiness in the brain by targeting receptors that release dopamine. Adrenaline is also released during consumption, which is why snus is also used as a stimulant and pick-me-up.

For a short period of time, attention is increased, one feels fresher, more concentrated and more efficient. In addition, pulse and blood pressure increase, which boosts the metabolism. Another side effect: you have less appetite. Nicotine decomposes again in the body with a half-life of two hours and the snus effect wears off.

Athletes increasingly rely on the snus effect

The snus effect is increasingly appreciated by professional athletes. At first, snus was widely used in ice hockey, now more and more professional footballers are also turning to snus.. If one may believe the statements of the sportsmen, even each fourth footballer reaches regularly to Snus.

This is not surprising if you look at the above effects. Nicotine increases alertness and performance, so athletes can indeed have an advantage through the snus effect. The consumption of snus is allowed, and it is not a prohibited doping substance - at least not yet. Since the consumption of snus gives competitive advantages, it could soon end up on the list of banned substances.

However, private consumers may not care. They do not have to do without the snus effect. Those who want to buy snus can continue to do so. You can get the real snus only in Sweden, because it is the only country in the EU where it can be sold. Switzerland has legalized the sale of snus in 2019. In Germany and Austria, snus is only available as a tobacco-free variant in nicotine pouches (e.g. Velo Snus and Lyft Snus) - but this does not affect the experience.