By smoking just one cigarette you release nicotine in your bloodstream, which can be very pleasurable at the moment, but did you know that it takes 6-8 hours for the nicotine to leave your body? Most of this nicotine is released when urinating. So it takes 48-72 h and 20-30 days for the nicotine’s by-product cotinine to leave your body.
Some studies have shown that if you eat more fruit and vegetables that are rich with vitamin C, which accelerates the metabolism, you will remove the nicotine from your bloodstream faster. The public health researchers from the University of Buffalo made a survey which included 1,000 smoker aged 25 or older from all over the country. After fourteen months, the researchers checked the participants to see if they have abstained from tobacco during the previous month. The results were stunning. The ones who ate more vegetables and fruit were 3 times more inclined to stay off tobacco compared to those who consumed smaller amounts, for at least 30 days. They also smoked less frequently per day and scored better on a nicotine-dependency test.
There arereasons for people who ate more vegetables and fruit to have easier time in quitting cigarettes, which are the following:
- the fruit and vegetables make people feel sated, because smokers occasionally confuse hunger with cigarette craving
- they lowered nicotine dependence
- fruit and vegetables could make the taste of tobacco repulsive, unlike alcohol, coffee or meat
- healthier lifestyle has a better chance at making smokers give up their smoking.
Food and drinks vs. Nicotine
- The nicotine dehydrates the body, therefore you need to drink water in larger quantities in order to hydrate the body. Water also helps in sweating out the nicotine from your system.
- Some vegetables, such as egg-plants, beans, cucumbers and celery influence cigarette taste and they also decrease nicotine dependence. But remember not to consume too much sweet vegetables, because their sugar level is high and it could disturb the balance in your brains pleasure areas and will increase the desire for smoking.
- Nettle is great for combating infection, because it has a high concentration of iron.
- Kiwi purges nicotine from your body and restores vitamins A, C and E, which are reduced from smoking.
- Pine needle tea aside being used for mouth and throat disinfection, it also can be helpful with lung health.
- Smoking reduces the vitamin C.Orange has high level of vitamin C and it replaces its loss in your body. Orange is also useful in reducing stress, fastening you metabolism and enabling faster nicotine removal.
- Spinach has aplenty of vitamins and folic acid which is exceptional for your body. Also it makes tobacco taste repulsive.
- Broccoli contain a large amount of vitamin B5 and C, therefore itreplaces theloss of vitamin C and protects your lungs from toxin damage.
- Carrot juice contains large amounts of vitamin A, B, C and K, so it helps with nicotine removal. The nicotine damages your skin, but the carrot juice works wonders for your skin’s health