Quit For Your Health - Your Body Will Thank You

Smoking has received a lot of publicity in the last few years, mainly for its effects on health. As people become more aware of the negative health effects of smoking, more people decide to quit, and less people are starting to smoke in the first place

But what health benefits can actually be attained by giving up the bad habit? We all know that smoking is "bad" - but how is it bad? Let's take a closer look.

Why is Smoking "Bad"?

Smoking is defined as the inhalation of smoke from the combustion of tobacco. In other words, breathing in smoke which contains nicotine, flavour, and hundreds of other chemicals.

Nicotine itself has been shown to have very few negative effects on the body. It is actually the other chemicals which are breathed in at the same time as the nicotine which do the damage.

A few of these chemicals include:

• Tar.
• Carbon Monoxide.
• Formaldehyde.
• Salicylic Acid.

Each of these can harm not only the lungs, but the careful balance of the blood inside the body. For example, tar clogs the arteries, and is the main reason why smokers are more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack than non-smokers.

Additionally, salicylic acid slowly burns away at the lining of the lungs, creating the lung issues which later go on to be the precursor to lung cancer.

Can Quitting Reverse The Effects?

The good news is that if you quit smoking, some of the negative health effects that were caused by the chemicals in the smoke can be reversed. For example, people who smoke often find it difficult to exercise for long periods of time.

That's because the lung capacity fades as the chemicals in the smoke cause the lining of the lungs to degrade. However, after a few weeks of not smoking, the body is able to regenerate the lost lung tissue, and almost bring the lungs back to pristine condition.

Of course, all of this is dependent on how much damage has already been done. Each cigarette does progressively more damage to the soft tissue in the lungs, and therefore if you have been smoking a pack each day for the last 20 years, your lungs might unfortunately be beyond a state of repair.