Smoking and its Effect on Your Overall Health
Protective Substances’ Requirements and Body Functions are Changed
Jul 10, 2009
Cigarettes are known for being a direct cause of lung cancer and at least indirectly involved in heart disease, inflammatory diseases, bone loss, and just about any others you can name. In fact, the American Medical Association website states, “Tobacco use is a contributor to every chronic disease including diabetes, asthma and heart problems.”
However, the inhaled smoke also robs your body of nutrients, i.e. Vitamin C, and may block use of other essential compounds, i.e. oxygen. This can lead to myriad everyday aches and pains that can be avoided. Easing of these pains and inflammation might even help prevent some of the more devastating diseases.
Even second-hand smoke can be compared to sucking on the exhaust pipe of a city bus. In Medical Myths That Can Kill You, Dr. Nancy Snyderman indicates that non-smoking women who live or work with smokers have a 27% increased risk of breast cancer. They are also twice as likely to suffer the devastating effects of cervical cancer.
Below are just a few examples of how smoking affects the everyday quality of life.
Increased Pain
Nicotine causes blood vessels to clamp down which shuts down the oxygen and nutrients going to your nervous system. It could also block release of endorphins which act as your body’s natural painkiller, creating more inflammation, according to Seniors Guide to Pain free Living by Doug Dollemore and the editors of Prevention Magazine (Rodale, 2000).
Heartburn
Smoking weakens the esophageal sphincter which closes to keep acid in the stomach from backing up into the esophagus. As we all know, all of our body functions tend to become weaker as we age anyway so this is a double whammy in senior citizens.
Cataracts
Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz in You Staying Young (Free Press, 2007) indicate that cataracts (cloudiness of the lens in the eye) is often caused by smoking.
Increased Vitamin C Requirement
Vitamin C is responsible for disposing of free radicals which smoking produces. It is used up in doing this which increases the requirement. Free radicals result when an electron pair spinning around a cell nucleus is separated. The lone electron (oxygen) then desperately searches for another electron. The American Dietetic Association recommends 1 ½ times as much Vitamin C as that needed by non-smokers.
Be Informed
Don’t stick your head in the sand. If you smoke, know what you are inhaling. Investigate with your doctor options available today to quit, i.e. patches. Meanwhile, protect your health with a healthy diet and appropriate supplements. Later on down the road, this will prevent you from wondering how you got over the hill without getting to the top.
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