Still Smoking? How to kick the habit

According to the World Health Organisation tobacco use is the single most important preventable health risk in the developed world and a key cause of premature death worldwide.³ Globally, smoking-related death rates are set to rise from 3 million annually (as estimated in 1995) to 10 million annually by 2030.⁴

The great news is that many of the adverse effects of smoking are reversible if you give up, even quitting in middle age avoids the health care risks linked to smoking. The trouble is, stopping smoking is not easy, so much so that up to 50% of quitters relapse within the first three days of giving up.³

What’s The Best Solution for Quitting?

The key to success is to find ways to make quitting much easier. There are several tools available that can make stopping less challenging: nicotine replacement therapy, prescription medications, behavioural therapy, lifestyle changes, online resources, self-help materials and mobile apps.

If you want to take a more natural approach, nutritional intervention has the potential to enhance recovery success by providing the brain with the nutrients it needs to heal and by reducing withdrawal and craving symptoms. Making sure you eat a healthy balanced diet, should provide you with essential nutrients that will make your transition from smoking easier and repair some of the cellular damage that smoking may have caused. Some nutrients such as antioxidants and magnesium are especially beneficial, so it makes sense to support your diet with appropriate supplements.

Why Smoking is Bad for Everyone’s Health

Smoking causes 90% of all lung cancer deaths,¹³ but it’s not just the lungs that are affected. Smoking can also cause cancer in the mouth, throat, larynx, oesophagus, bladder, bowel, cervix, pancreas, stomach, liver and kidney.⁵As well as this, it causes multiple other diseases from chronic bronchitis to heart disease, strokes and emphysema. Expectant mothers should also know that smoking whilst pregnant has a negative effect on the growth and development of the unborn foetus.

When you’re smoking you are also putting other people at risk of lung cancer, heart disease and strokes. Passive smoking contributes to around 41,000 deaths a year among non-smokers and approximately 400 deaths in infants every year.⁷Children exposed to second-hand smoke also have an increased risk of acute respiratory infections, more severe asthma, middle ear disease and cot death.⁷The negative effects from smoking are due to:

Toxic Overload

Cigarette smoke is a complex mix of over 5000 toxins including toxic metals, poisonous gases and chemicals. Of these, at least 70 are known to cause cancer and 250 recognised as harmful.⁶When you smoke, the chemicals damage your lungs, pass into your blood circulation and spread around your body. Some of the toxins include:

•        Nicotine
•        Tar
•        Arsenic
•        Carbon Monoxide
•        Cadmium
•        Formaldehyde
•        Hydrogen Cyanide
•        Nitrosamines
•        Heavy metals

Insufficient antioxidant support

One of the many reasons why smoking is so bad for you is that it generates free radicals in your body that can result in cell damage if they are not properly controlled. Just smoking a single cigarette has been shown to introduce millions of highly reactive free radical molecules into the body.¹¹ The body’s antioxidant system is designed to counter the effects of free radicals, however because smoking contains such high levels of reactive molecules, the continuous exposure can overwhelm your body’s antioxidant defences.

Your body also uses important antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxide, which play a crucial role in neutralising free radicals and preventing oxidative damage, however, smoking can reduce the beneficial effects of these enzymes. Long-term effects of oxidative stress caused by smoking can compromise your immune system’s ability to function effectively making you more vulnerable to infections and less able to heal damaged tissues.

What’s more, smoking-induced oxidative stress can trigger inflammation in the body, which over long periods of time may result in a range of chronic health problems such as cardiovascular and respiratory disease.

More Reasons to Quit Smoking

Smoking also has a negative impact on other aspects of your life. Its incredibly expensive to sustain a smoking habit these days and it limits your social life as there are now so many restrictions on smoking in public places. What’s more it really accelerates the ageing process of your skin, making it likely you’ll look much older, a lot quicker than your non-smoking friends!

Why Are Cigarettes So Addictive?

The ingredient that gets you hooked on smoking is the mood-altering drug nicotine, which is extremely addictive. It increases the levels of ‘feel good’ brain chemicals, serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine and these are responsible for the feeling of wellbeing associated with smoking. So, when you take nicotine away your body starts to crave it. This is only temporary but for the first few days you may experience uncomfortable symptoms such as irritability, restlessness, difficulty sleeping and negative emotions. Although these symptoms ease off after 2-3 weeks, it might be harder to shake of the long-term psychological dependency that smoking is associated with pleasure.

A Strategy for Success

One of the biggest hurdles to overcome when trying to quit smoking is the overwhelming cravings, but it is possible to give up successfully, if you follow these 3 steps:

1. Ask for help – Enlist the support of family and friends, they can stop smoking around you, steer you away from social occasions where too much alcohol may lead to smoking and cheer you up if you’re feeling low.

2. Occupy your hands and mind – Find something to keep your mind and hands busy. Take up a new hobby, wash the car, clear out some cupboards, do the gardening, revamp some furniture or teach the kids a board game. Having some healthy snacks to nibble on when you need something in your mouth is another useful strategy. Try sugar free gum, dill pickles, carrot or celery sticks.

3. Enhance your diet – Filling up on antioxidant rich fruit and vegetables is vital for countering the oxidative stress and subsequent cell damage that may have accumulated from a long-term smoking habit. Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, bell peppers, kiwi fruits and berries are all rich sources of the powerful antioxidant vitamin C. To minimise nicotine cravings, aches and pains, low mood, restless sleep and irritability you should also include plenty of magnesium rich foods like leafy greens, nuts and seeds.

Why Magnesium?

1. Stress management

Levels of magnesium are shown to be depleted in people who smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day and should be considered as an important supplement, during the withdrawal phase. Magnesium contributes to nervous system and psychological function and has been shown to have a calming effect on the nervous system,¹⁴potentially reducing stress and anxiety levels associated with nicotine withdrawal. Given that smoking is frequently used as a tool to relieve stress, supporting your diet with magnesium supplements may help to alleviate the stress of withdrawal.

Magnesium L-threonate (Magtein ®) may be particularly useful for brain function in these instances as research suggests this form is exceptionally well absorbed, raising magnesium levels in the brain and neurons effectively.¹⁵ Other inorganic forms of oral magnesium may not cross the blood-brain barrier so readily.

2. Aids dopamine metabolism

Nicotine addiction involves the release of dopamine, contributing to the pleasurable sensations associated with smoking. Because dopamine is a magnesium dependant biochemical, low levels of magnesium can contribute to low levels of dopamine in the brain, leading to cigarette cravings.¹² Maintaining normal levels of magnesium may help to decrease the intensity of cravings for cigarettes.

3. Supports relaxed muscles

Because of its contribution to muscle function, magnesium is known for its muscle relaxant properties. Some people experience muscle tension or cramps during nicotine withdrawal. Magnesium supplementation may help alleviate these symptoms, making the quitting process more comfortable.

4. Metabolic support

Magnesium plays a role in insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, which help to stabilise blood sugar levels. Nicotine withdrawal may sometimes lead to fluctuations in blood sugar levels, which can contribute to irritability and cravings.

5. Supported by evidence

In one 28 day study, researchers recorded the effects of magnesium intake on 53 adults that smoked more than 10 cigarettes a day. Patients that received magnesium therapy showed a significant decrease in the number of cigarettes smoked compared to the smokers who did not receive magnesium.¹⁰ Further evidence suggests that magnesium decreases the intensity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms; according to the research it has a moderate stimulatory effect on the reward systems in the brain, without leading to a dependency.⁹

Richer in Health and in Pocket

Not only will your health benefit from quitting smoking but your wallet will too. At today’s prices, if you smoke on average 20 cigarettes a day, you’ll save approximately £5,325.00 a year. One more great reason to give up!

REFERENCES

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3.         Dowlati Y, de Jesus DR, Selby P, Fan I, Meyer JH. Depressed mood induction in early cigarette withdrawal is unaffected by acute monoamine precursor supplementation. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2019 Jan 23;15:311-321. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S172334. PMID: 30774343; PMCID: PMC6352866.

4.         Fagerström, K. The Epidemiology of Smoking. Drugs 62 (Suppl 2), 1–9 (2002). https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-200262002-00001.

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8.         Karunakaran B, Shankar P, Thomas T. Study of effect of duration and severity of smoking on serum magnesium levels in young smokers. J. Evid. Based Med. Healthc. 2019; 6(27), 1858-1862. DOI: 10.18410/jebmh/2019/379.

9.         Nechifor M. Magnesium in drug dependences. Magnes Res. 2008 Mar;21(1):5-15. PMID: 18557129.

10.       Nechifor M et al. Magnesium influence on nicotine pharmacodependence and smoking. Magnesiium Research 2004; 17,3: 176-181.

11.       Spitale, R.C., Cheng, M.Y., Chun, K.A. et al. Differential effects of dietary supplements on metabolomic profile of smokers versus non-smokers. Genome Med 4, 14 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/gm313.

12.       Struwig U. Natural remedies which may aid to quit smoking. The Journal of Modern Pharmacy / January 2007.

13.       U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014.

14.       Vink R, Nechifor M, editors. Magnesium in the Central Nervous System [Internet]. Adelaide (AU): University of Adelaide Press; 2011. PMID: 29919999.

15.       Zhang C, Hu Q, Li S, Dai F, Qian W, Hewlings S, Yan T, Wang Y. A Magtein^®, Magnesium L-Threonate, -Based Formula Improves Brain Cognitive Functions in Healthy Chinese Adults. Nutrients. 2022 Dec 8;14(24):5235. doi: 10.3390/nu14245235. PMID: 36558392; PMCID: PMC9786204.