Diet for people who smoke

In this post, we will discuss about food that reduces the desire to smoke. What foods and vitamins should smokers consume and what are the nutritional needs of smokers in order to reduce the effects of smoking. Due to the fact that after quitting smoking, a person’s appetite increases and the body’s metabolism decreases, the body’s calorie intake naturally increases, so people gain weight and become obese, which is especially good for women. is not.

Diet suitable for smokers
Research by the World Health Organization has shown that every 8 seconds a person in the world dies due to smoking, and based on these results, if people start smoking at a young age – which is more than 70% of smoking cases. It happens at this stage – and if they continue to do so for 20 years or more, they will die 20 to 25 years earlier than people who have never smoked at all in their lives.
Statistics also say that at least 14 types of cancer in the body are caused by smoking, and every person smokes 200 packs a day and 70,000 packs a month by consuming a pack of cigarettes. 80 carcinogens enter the body with each pack of cigarettes.
However, regardless of these statistics and the close relationship between smoking and cancer, doctors believe that there is a significant relationship between smoking and nutrition.

Dr. Mansour Rezaei says in relation to this issue: There is a mutual relationship between smoking and nutrition.

Smokers lose their appetite mainly due to smoking. This is why most of them are weak and thin, and on the other hand, they do not want to eat fruits and vegetables. While this group of people in the society, due to the increase in oxidative stress in The body and the heavy metals in cigarettes need more fruits and vegetables than normal people.
● The role of nutrition in reducing the desire to smoke
Research shows that some compounds, especially vegetables, reduce the body’s nicotine excretion due to the alkalinization of the blood environment. Therefore, they reduce the desire to smoke, and the opposite is also true.
According to Rezaei, consumption of tea and meat, especially red meat, due to its diuretic nature and acidification of the blood environment, increases the excretion of nicotine, and the desire to smoke increases in these people. Probably, they live among the family, friends and acquaintances of smokers. that they face many problems and show certain habits towards others.
Smokers usually eat irregularly and do not have snacks. Their food variety is low and sometimes they don’t eat some food groups at all and even most of them tend to eat fatty food.

This nutritionist believes that the consumption of tea and coffee is high in smokers, and the consumption of fruits and vegetables in these people is less than that of non-smokers. Some of them use cigarettes on an empty stomach even before breakfast.
● Vitamin C, E and Selenium
Dr. Rezaei adds about the nutritional needs of smokers: In smokers, smoking increases the amount of oxidative stress, free radicals and heavy metals such as lead, arsenic and cadmium in the body, which requires substances to reduce the amount of these substances in the body It is an antioxidant such as vitamin C and E and selenium, and these compounds are abundantly found in fruits and vegetables and should be more in the meals of smokers.
eAlso, dairy products (milk, yogurt, curd, buttermilk, etc.) competitively prevent the absorption of heavy metals in cigarettes, which is again recommended to consume more dairy products in smokers than in normal people.
Having a correct food pattern including fruits and vegetables, legumes, white meat (fish and chicken), low-fat dairy products, walnuts, almonds, pistachios and fresh and unsalted hazelnuts, as well as using appropriate snacks with breakfast and lunch. And dinner reduces the effects of smoking.

According to Dr. Rezaei, having a variety of food, using enough liquids (regularly one glass every hour), reducing the excessive consumption of tea and coffee to reduce anxiety after quitting smoking and replacing it with low-fat dairy products, always with starchy materials such as bread And yogurt or bread and cheese, milk and honey or milk and dates and increasing daily physical activity along with deep breathing are very effective in reducing the side effects of smoking.

● Nutrition in conditions of smoking cessation
Meanwhile, there are people who have been able to quit smoking and must follow the nutritional recommendations to prevent obesity after quitting smoking.
He suggests to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products and legumes in the conditions of quitting and after that, and families should include these ingredients in their meals.
Because the use of these foods reduces the tendency to smoke, and on the other hand, they are low in calories and ultimately prevent overweight and obesity caused by quitting smoking. In addition, increasing daily activities such as brisk walking It is very effective with deep breathing.