Smoking may kill as many as a billion people worldwide this century. Now, a new study says that if women quit smoking before the age of 30 they could almost completely reverse the impact of smoking, while those aged forty could stand to add at least ten years to their life.
Compelling reasons to stop smoking far outnumber effective ways to do so. Even with recent revelations that tobacco is contaminated with the highly carcinogenic radioisotope polonium-210, the addictive hold it maintains on millions of smokers worldwide who already know it causes premature death and cancer is far more powerful than the desire for self-preservation, it would seem.
This is why effective, natural interventions for smoking cessation are so needed today and why we are excited to report on a new study involving a solution that can be found not at your local pharmacy, but at your local grocer’s fruit stand.
Additional evidence-based natural aids for smoking cessation include:
- Fresh Lime Juice
Yup, you read that right! A 2012 study titled Efficacy of fresh lime for smoking cessation was published in the Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand, and the conclusion was that fresh lime could be used in place of nicotine gum as an effective smoking cessation aid.
- Black Pepper
Sounds crazy I know, but a small study from back in 1994 showed that the vapor from black pepper essential oil was significantly effective in reducing reported cigarette cravings among smokers. So, get yourself some black pepper essential oil, and sniff sniff sniff your cravings away!
- Exercise
Truth! Quitting sucks and you feel like crap, but the verdict is in. Even short, light-intensity exercise can help curb cravings, according to this 2004 study in the journal Psychopharmacology. The conclusion? “Five minutes of moderate intensity exercise is associated with a short-term reduction in desire to smoke and tobacco withdrawal symptoms.”
- Acupuncture
Acupuncture and related therapies, like acupressure or aurical acupressure, can be effective in addressing the difficulties that so often accompany quitting, such as insomnia, jitters, irritability, coughing, dry mouth, constipation, fatigue, and depression. Studies have also shown that acupuncture can directly aid in smoking cessation by ameliorating withdrawal symptoms.
- Self Massage
And who doesn’t love a good body rub? The great news is, you don’t have to pay a professional or cajole your partner into performing the task. Self-massage, on specifically focused on the ears and hands, has been shown to “alleviate smoking-related anxiety, reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, improve mood, and reduce the number of cigarettes smoked.”
So give yourself a rub. You’re working hard to quit, and you deserve it!
Source: care2.com