Blog for all health-conscious: Fooducate Blog - How Smoking Affects Nutrition

Tuesday, 3 January 2012

Fooducate Blog - How Smoking Affects Nutrition

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 04:38 AM PST

Everyone knows smoking is bad for health. It causes cancer and heart disease to name a few maladies. Everyone can tell you that. If you’re a smoker, you should quit.

But if you are having a hard time and you can’t quite stop, there are a few things you should know so you can to counteract the negative effects of you addiction.

Smoking and Cholesterol

The nicotine in cigarettes increases LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and decreases HDL cholesterol (the good) in your bloodstream. Diet also has a big impact on your cholesterol levels, so if you are a smoker, you need to be doubly careful about your intake of saturated fats and trans-fats.

Smoking and Bone health

Studies over the last few decades have shown that smokers have a lower bone density and higher risk for osteoporosis. The exact chemistry has yet to be explained. If you’re a smoker – make sure you get enough calcium in your diet..

Smoking and Vitamin C

Smoking literally sucks the vitamin C from your body’s tissues.Whereas vitamin C is an antioxidant, the chemicals in cigarette smoke are oxidants. So vitamin C, instead of bonding with free radicals in the body and removing them, bonds with the chemicals from the smoke. Smokers therefore need a much higher level of vitamin C and in general much more antioxidants in their body. So if you’re a pack a day person – make sure you’re getting ample fruits and vegetables in your diet as well.

Smoking and Weight Loss

Nicotine has been shown to be an appetite suppressant, but if you think smoking is the way to stay thin, you’re thinking very short term. The damage you are doing to your body by smoking far outweighs the few pounds not gained.

To summarize, quit smoking ASAP. Until you do, be on top of your game nutritionally.

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