Tobacco damage

We all know tobacco is dangerous. Ok…you’re right, let’s say very dangerous. But most of us think that negative health effects may begin within months of cigarette use: they actually begin after minutes. Remember this. Wherefore tobacco contains 7,000 chemicals, not 700 but thousands, including almost every possible chemicals and metals. Do I have to specify I’m talking about immediately poisoning ones? Have you ever heard about lead, formaldehyde, ammonia, toluene, arsenic…and on and on. Pick one! You might (wrongly) argue it’s a personal choice, whereas facts are that passive smoking (second-hand but even third-hand smoking) is as damaging as direct smoking.

We also know what the usual damages are, being more or less commented on TV and various newspapers: cancer, asthma, cardiovascular problems, liver and kidney disease (fibrosis of the glomeruli, cancer-inducing of kidney cells, poor function of filtration system), cholesterol (reduction in beneficial HDL levels), diabetes (doubling the risk), obesity, brain and bones damage, eye diseases (related or not to diabetes) atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, intestinal problems (peptic ulcer, gastro reflux disease, inflammatory bowel, diverticulitis, colonic polyps), raised blood pressure, reduced fertility, gum disease, ulcers of the digestive system, etc.

Is it useful to write about all possible damages? You should focus instead on quitting.

All forms of tobacco raise the risk of every known disease. Smoking is to blame for about 90% of lung cancers…90%! Moreover, how many of you are thinking about oxidant stress, related to inflammation and most of all DNA mutations caused by tobacco? Smoking directly stimulates new blood vessel growth to tumours, together with a loss of normal immune surveillance for malignant cells: double win for tumours!

In particular it damages the endothelial cells lining arterial walls, which are extremely sensitive to oxidant stress. Inflammation provoked by tobacco increments swelling that block arteries, also increasing the stickiness of platelets which then augments clot formation, thickening and stiffening of the arteries causing heart attack and strokes.       

How come smokers can’t stop? Because it’s a drug and they’re addicted. Nicotine is the addictive drug that causes “drug addicts” to continue to smoke. They need it to feel normal, to control their mood, to literally get on. How much nicotine a smoker needs determine how much smoke he's likely to inhale, no matter what type of cigarette he smokes. This is a very common mistake: being convinced of smoking light cigarettes. Most of all, other toxic compounds are immediately chemically active as well, profoundly changing the body functions: tobacco contains over 60 known cancer-causing chemicals. In particular: Tar – carbon monoxide – hydrogen cyanide – oxidizing chemicals – metals – radioactive compounds (yes, radioactive). Smoking harms almost every organ in the body and each single illness is more severe and longer-lasting.

My personal hint, should you be a smoker, is to assume massive doses of vitamin C, which is heavily depleted by tobacco. Forget about “pseudo-candies” containing 200/400 mg of ascorbic acid each: I’m talking about 2000/3000 mg per day. Buy it in powder, it’s cheaper and sold everywhere.

Remember the three poisons: sugar, alcohol, tobacco. All equally harmful, although in different ways. And of course, if you don’t think about yourselves, at least worry about second-hand smoking harming your children. As for all the rest, I’m certainly not here to write about moral, social/behavioural habits, character weaknesses or psychological implications. IF you’re strong enough, you’ll quit. IF you’re weak, you’ll blame others.

We are what we drink and eat. Let me also say we are what we breathe.

….Always humble,

Angiolino

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