Is there a way to quit smoking with home remedies?

Over the last few decades, the habit of smoking has grown to dizzying heights causing almost every person on the planet to be either directly or indirectly affected by it. For the past few years there have been a number of support groups that continue to educate people on the ill effects of this habit while also encouraging them to quit. To put things into perspective – we should get a clear picture of the contents of the cigarettes we smoke. Cigarettes contain about 4000 different chemicals, of which the majority are toxic and will affect the internal functioning of the organs as well as greatly reduce the efficiency of the body’s immune system. Nicotine, the most well known content of a cigarette, can reach the brain within 10 seconds of the smoke being inhaled and will start to leave its residue on every part of the human body. Pregnant women who smoke pass on these chemicals to their babies even after they are born as many of these chemicals are also transferred from mother to child through breast milk.

Cancer can be caused by agents like carcinogens present in tobacco and can damage important genes that help with the control of cell growth or cause them to grow irregularly. Studies have shown that 90% of all lung cancer deaths can be directly contributed to smoking, while smoking is the primary cause of about 80% of all chronic lung disease deaths. Moreover, the smoke does not only affect the individual with the habit, but also the people in close proximity. Facts show that a non smoker will inhale an equivalent of 4 cigarettes if they remain in a room with a smoker for over a period of 2 hours. Despite most of these details being common knowledge, it is extremely hard for a smoker to give up the habit. Smoking is considered to be an addiction and people trying to stop will encounter a number of withdrawal symptoms like craving, irritability, an increased appetite, attentions deficits and constantly disturbed sleeping patterns.

In order to help the withdrawal, an addict should stop consumption of acidic foods while increasing the quantities of alkaline foods in the diet. A few highly recommended foods include beets, raisins, dandelion and lima beans. A high intake of vitamin C will help in the increase of hormones in the body. Drinking a glass of orange juice or grapefruit juice will help considerably. Sweets and honey will help keep a check on the constant and building urge to smoke a cigarette. However, try not to overdo this as it could lead to other complications such as diabetes and dental decay.

answered by G M

Home remedies are popular among those who wish to quit smoking for good. In most home remedies herbs form the basis of remedies and are often preferred as they are natural and not drug-based. More importantly the use of herbs as home remedies is not addictive and some of them also provide nutrition to the body.

Folk therapists believe that a combination of two or more herbs often bring about better healing benefits than a single herb. Some popular home remedies are created using several herbs such as passion flower -for its tranquillizing properties, sarsaparilla root -for its anti-oxidant properties, cayenne pepper, peppermint -for its stimulant properties), bioperine-for its absorption increasing properties, burdock root -for its blood purifying properties, turmeric root-for its excellent digestive properties, Oregon holly grape, -for its toxin cleansing abilities form the liver, dandelion root -for improving the urinary system. These herbs can be used individually or combined to help detoxify the body, especially if a smoker has had years of smoking.

Foods that are high in base content or are alkaline in nature are popularly believed to suppress the urge to smoke. According to home therapists, foods high in base content work by altering the preference of taste in the smoker's taste buds. It is believed that taste buds among humans are established by conditioning or learning to appreciate the taste of smoking and other substances such as food associated with the habit.

In certain countries, boiled oats are known to control opium and tobacco addiction. Alkaline foods are thought to decrease the smoker's affinity for tobacco and opium. Foods in this category include boiled oats, beetroots, common figs, sultanas, dried lima bean plants, spinach, sweet almonds and dandelion greens. Some cultures resort to juice solutions to quit smoking. A blend of 2 teaspoon honey with freshly grated radish juice helps to modify the taste buds and is used as an aversion therapy towards cigarette taste. Some folk remedies recommend that licking salt or placing a grain or two of it on the tip of your tongue drives away the urge to smoke. Some researchers studied the effect of aromatherapy oils on curbing the urge to smoke. The use of certain essential oils such as cypress, lemon and peppermint has shown great promise in cutting down the intake of cigarettes in a day. Some people find relief from smoking by chewing on sugar cane stalks and licorice sticks. This traditional home remedy is also known to work as it helps in reducing the number of cigarettes smoked in a day.

answered by G M

The best way to quit smoking is to keep telling yourself "I am a non smoker" rather than telling yourself you are going to quit. Try to re-program your mind into believing you are a non smoker and it will work.

answered by c