Eating More Fruits and Vegetables May Help Smokers Quit

Eating a lot of fruits and vegetables may help smokers quit, according to a new study.

Tobacco contains nicotine, a highly addictive drug, in addition to the 69 chemicals known to cause cancer. All major medical institutions acknowledge that quitting smoking greatly increases a person's health prospects.

Nicotine is the most abundant psychoactive drug in tobacco products that produces dependence. Nicotine can produce both excitation and stimulation along with relaxation at the same time, making it a very attractive drug for addictive personalities. Both smoking tobacco and smokeless tobacco (chewing, dipping) can lead to nicotine dependence. Chewing and dipping tobacco is placed between the lip and gums or in the cheek. Nicotine dependence is the most common form of chemical dependence in the United States. Research suggests that nicotine is as addictive as heroin, cocaine or alcohol. Examples of nicotine withdrawal symptoms include irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating and increased appetite.

Many different approaches are used to help smokers quit. The pharmacological approach often contains various nicotine replacement therapies, such as the patch, nicotine gum or lozenges, or even a nicotine inhaler. Some alternative therapies include certain herbal combinations, such as kava and chamomile, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy and relaxation therapy. Some individuals simply pick a quit date and stick with it.

In a new study, researchers conducted a population-based study on a random selection of 1,000 smokers at least 25 years-old to evaluate the potential effects fruit and vegetable consumption may have on smoking intensity and dependence over the course of 14 months.

The researchers found that participants who ate more fruits and vegetables smoked fewer daily cigarettes, scored lower on the Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale and lasted a longer period of time without smoking. Furthermore, participants who ate the most fruits and vegetables were over three times more likely to successfully refrain from smoking for at least 30 days by the 14 month follow-up period than those who ate the least.

The authors concluded that eating a lot of fruits and vegetables may be beneficial for smokers trying to quit. Well-designed clinical trials are needed to further evaluate these findings.

Many other integrative therapies have been studied for their potential effects on smoking habits. Sensory cues associated with cigarette smoking can suppress certain smoking withdrawal symptoms, including the craving for cigarettes. Inhalation of black pepper essential oil may reduce cravings and physical symptoms associated with cigarette smoking withdrawal. Additionally, early research indicates that auricular acupressure may help with quitting smoking. Further research is needed to confirm these results.

For more information about integrative therapies for smoking cessation, please visit Natural Standard's Comparative Effectiveness Database.

 

Comments

[SB]

I think anything that people should do anything they need to in order to quit! If eating fruits and vegetables helps, that is great, as it will help their overall health as well. It also may be a great way to combat the weight gain that can go along with quitting smoking.

[km]

Although the exact mechanism is yet to be determined, this may be a very good alternative for those who want to go with the non-pharmacological therapy option. Since this is just a natural improved diet, there will be less concern about interactions with drugs and worth trying.

[km]

I wonder if the observed effect was due the satiety from consuming more fruits and vegetables. Also, I agree that those smokers that chose to eat more fruits and vegetable were definitely more health conscious than others, which in turn might have helped them succeed in quitting. More studies are needed to determine the exact mechanism between consuming more fruits and vegetables and quit smoking.

[MS]

Eating fruits and vegetables more frequently is a healthier way in helping smokers quit compared to using nicotine gum or lozenges and it has many other benefits for the body other than helping them quit. The relation between eating more frequently and the hand to mouth movement repetition is something to consider. If the individuals in the study were given more frequent portions of candy or fries would this have the same impact?

[ks]

This is very exciting news! I know multiple smokers who have tried quitting in the past to no avail. Working in the retail setting also involves a lot of customers asking how various nicotine replacement options to help them quit smoking. This is a good, healthy option to suggest to those trying to quit to hopefully add to their success.

[nh]

This is very interesting. I am a bit skeptical because I feel that smokers who are eating more vegetables and fruits have a higher interest in their overall health. If they have a greater interest in their health then they will be more likely to quit smoking than patients who eat more unhealthy meals. I hope there is more research into this subject because I feel if there is a strong correlation between eating more fruits and vegetables more smokers will do so which, at least, will increase other areas of their health.

[NA]

Eating fruits and vegetables seems like such a simple, healthy solution to helping smokers abstain from tobacco products. This approach would provide added nutritional benefits as well. It would be difficult to measure, but interesting to see if an individual was able to satisfy the urge of bringing a cigarette or other nicotine product to his or her mouth by eating fruits and veggies instead. I am also interested to see what further research reveals about the role of fruits and veggies in helping smokers quit.

[DS]

I am not convinced that solely fruit can help with smoking cessation. I believe that smoking cessation is a difficult goal to accomplish and it all depends on the person. I know people who decided to quit and were successful the first time, and others failed after numerous times. I believe that the will and the readiness of the person dictates their success to quit smoking.

[gwanbobmuga-GDC]

Many attempts to quit smoking by a lot of people have failed despite using some successful approaches such nicotine containing chewing gum, and nicotine patch. Although they could not quite, they are still expose to unwanted adverse effects. By eating a lot of fruit and vegetables and may be spices, can likely help those with unsuccessful quitting attempts. The good thing with these natural remedies is that you can actually stay tobacco free for a much longer time. More important, these natural remedies and spices can help boost your metabolism and there are little or no significant adverse effects to worry about. Therefore if those nicotine products are failing you, why not spice them up and throw in some green leaves and other colored vegetables.

[CHD]

What would be the mechanism behind that? I wonder if it has anything to do with the hand-mouth movements that smokers develop and fruits/vegetables being a more healthy way to compensate for that while trying to quit than junk food. My only concern about recommending fruits and vegetables as an alternative way to quit smoking is that it can get very expensive to eat right and I feel that we might have a hard time convince people in our pharmacies to spend the time and income. It is definitely worth suggesting though, challenging or not.

[Tim]

I could imagine that having fruits and vegetables nearby could help with quitting, not only for the health benefits of eating fruits and veggies, but also to help with the frequent hand-to-mouth habit of smoking a cigarette.

[UP]

This is very interesting! I hope further research regarding smokers quitting and eating more fruits and vegetables results in similar results because I would like to see smokers have a healthier diet while helping them quit smoking.

[CC]

I wonder if this works by causing the smoker to become more health conscious in another area of their life first (ex. diet) before tackling their smoking habits. I am assuming that the smoker continues to smoke initially while increasing their fruit and vegetable intake. If they stick with their new healthy diet modification, perhaps they begin to feel better and look to other areas where they can improve their health. The most obvious next step is probably to cut back on smoking. For all the smokers that have a “hand to mouth” addiction from smoking, it might be good to try snacking on frozen grapes when they get a craving (or one of the other methods listed above that involve natural methods).

[Scooby]

This is an interesting finding. It would be important to note however, that out of the participants who were involved in this study, how many were "willing" to quit smoking going into the study versus those who were not attempting cessation. It would also be interesting to know the level of consumption (i.e., how many fruits and vegies per day, time of day, and types). Overall, providing means of smoking cessation in a safe and effective manner is great! We all know smoking is very toxic to the human body. If this study found a strong correlation, then fruits and vegies can provide a supplemental means of quitting as well as providing the body with antioxidants that can further help combat the free radical cocktail smokers inhale into their body.

[KM]

This is great to hear since cigarette smoking not only affects your lungs but almost every organ in your body including your heart. Eating more fruits and vegetables seems like a healthy alternative for people who want to quit smoking. This method could be tried alone or in combination with treatments such as nicotine patches or nicotine gum. I wonder if part of the reason for the success seen in quitting smoking had to do with the food replacing the physical and psychological habit of smoking a cigarette.

[MW]

Smoking is a risk factor for almost an disease imaginable. It is the most preventable cause of death in the modern world. The worst part of it is people who smoking generally try to stop at some point but are not able to fully give up the habit. While eating fruits and vegetables may not completely break the habit it is nice to hear that health habits can help a person quit their unhealthy habits.

[MN]

Replacing cigarettes with fruits/vegetables sounds like a great recommendation to provide patients who are looking for alternative treatments to smoking cessation. We should also warn patients about relapse and to help patients with goals in their pathway to quitting. Smokers should avoid triggers such as social influences (ie. if they usually smoke while they consume alcohol). Regular exercise has also been shown to decrease urges to smoke.

[JK]

Considering many patients gain weight while trying to quit this is good news. A lot of patients replace the oral fixation with lollipops or other candy or snacks and replace one bad habit for another. This study gives them another option, replace that bag of candy for a bag of carrot and celery sticks. Plus there are so many different vegetables there are plenty of tastes to explore while getting healthy!

[EM]

This area is one where CAM therapy can have a real niche. "Cold turkey" works for very few patients, and the relapse rates in this group are high. On the other hand, pharmacological options such as the blockbuster Chantix carry the weight of harsh side effects. This is a realistic recommendation for patients, one that has varied health benefits, and I hope this research gets more attention!

[KS]

This is an interesting finding because it's so difficult for so many people to quit smoking, even if they are actively trying to quit. Some estimates have found that 60-90% of smokers will relapse within the first year of quitting, including those using nicotine replacement therapy. Increasing your daily intake of fruits and vegetables is such an easy step to take, and its also an approach that can be tried simultaneously with other modalities, from nicotine replacement therapies to yoga.

[Matt]

Getting anything more health into you when you quit smoking, reinforces the good habit of quitting. Like exercise, better foods, and herbal teas like Quit Tea http://www.quittea.com that help you quit smoking are all good for you and keep you smoke free.

[Emily]

The Natural Standard monograph for smoking cessation indicates that increased appetite is associated with quitting smoking. One factor worth considering about smoking is that it suppresses appetite, and fruits and vegetables provide a great source of periodic nutrients other than cigarettes. Other snack foods that may be consumed periodically by smokers trying to quit may not be as satisfying in comparison to cigarettes.