In spite of the surgeon general’s warning on a pack of cigarettes, smoking cigarettes may actually help those with ulcerative colitis.

Despite its link to negative effects on overall health, cigarette smoking may have a positive effect on a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) known as ulcerative colitis (UC).

Researchers think the positive effects of smoking on UC may be connected to nicotine, a highly addictive chemical. Nicotine appears to sometimes ease the inflammation associated with UC. Interestingly, Crohn’s disease, another form of IBD, can become worseTrusted Source as a result of cigarette smoking.

Research on nicotine’s impact on UC is not conclusive. Any benefits have yet to be definitively established. And it’s unlikely that smoking will be recommended as a treatment for most people because of its many side effects.

The authors of an analysis from 2012Trusted Source took a look at the existing research and found that current smokers are less likely to receive a UC diagnosis than people who have never smoked.

Heavier smokers are also less likely than lighter smokers to develop UC. And former smokers develop the condition later than people who have never smoked.

Also, current smokers with UC tend to have a milder form of the condition than former smokers and people who have never smoked.

Researchers think this may be due to nicotine’s ability to stop the release of inflammation-producing cells in the digestive tract. This anti-inflammatory action may, in turn, stop the immune system from mistakenly attacking good cells in the intestines.

Nicotine has not been found to have the same positive effect for people with Crohn’s disease.

People who smoke cigarettes are more likely to develop Crohn’s disease than those who don’t. Smoking may also trigger relapses, especially after surgery, and may reduce the effectiveness of necessary medical treatments.

It’s not known why smoking appears to positively affect one form of IBD but negatively affect another. According to a 2020 research reviewTrusted Source, some studies suggest that nicotine may interact with the gut microbiome, and this interaction could have different effects on different forms of IBD.

Any product that delivers nicotine could potentially have a positive effect on UC. Nicotine can be found in many products, including:

  • vapes
  • chewing tobacco
  • snuff
  • dipping tobacco
  • oral tobacco
  • spit tobacco
  • nicotine replacement therapy products such as nicotine gum and patches

A 2020 research reviewTrusted Source mentions particularly promising results from nicotine patch therapies. The studies found that nicotine patch treatment in combination with conventional therapy was more effective than either option alone.

Smoking is not recommended as a treatment for UC. Tar, not nicotine, is the chemical in cigarettes that is most linked to cancer — but that doesn’t mean nicotine is good for you. Any product that includes this highly addictive substance may have a negative effect on your health.

The average cigarette has 600 ingredients in addition to tar and nicotine. When combined, these ingredients produce more than 7,000 chemicals. Many are poisonous, and others are known to cause cancer.

Smokers with UC tend to experience more hospital stays and fewer positive health outcomes overall than those who don’t smoke.

And the increased risk of experiencing negative health outcomes extends beyond cigarettes. Smokeless tobacco contains at least 30 chemicals linked to cancer. Cancers associated with smokeless tobacco include:

  • pancreatic cancer
  • cancer of the cheek
  • tongue cancer
  • mouth cancer
  • gum cancer
  • cancer of the esophagus

Besides addiction, nicotine gum has been linked to side effects such as

  • stomach ulcers
  • hair loss
  • nightmares

While nicotine has been shown to have possible positive effects on UC, the risks of cigarette smoking are too great to recommend it as a serious solution.