Is Tobacco Good For Your Skin?

Penguinbiter pleads…How does cigarette smoke cause wrinkles?

The Right Brain responds:

When Penguinbiter (BTW I love that name) asked this question in our Forum, Jami was quick to point out several links that answered the question very nicely. I won’t repeat them here but you can find them if you click here. This research shows there’s no doubt that smoking is bad for your skin. But, it turns out that tobacco might actually be good for skin.

Tobacco road

CosmeticsDesign reports that Italian researchers have discovered a sugar-peptide found in wild tobacco plants could have anti-aging properties for skin.  This complex has antioxidant properties as well as the ability to promote collagen synthesis.

The researchers were focused on finding compounds that could protect crops from environmental stresses but they discovered that the path ways they uncovered in plants had applications to animals as well. Specifically, they found that human keratinocytes treated with this sugar-peptide mix increased expression of two sirtuin proteins which are  thought to be linked to aging.

Will tobacco farmers everywhere breathe a sigh of relief for a more healthier use for their crops? Only time will tell.