Can eating fruit help you quit smoking?

Tuesday, August 07, 2012 by: Raw Michelle
Tags: fruit, stop smoking, vegetables

(NaturalNews) Researchers from the University at Buffalo are coming forward with some new advice for people who are struggling to give up the use of tobacco products. The longitudinal study is a groundbreaking investigation of the mutually effective relationship between tobacco use and food choices.

The research was published in the journal of Nicotine and Tobacco Research. Investigating 1,000 cases of tobacco use in individuals over the age of 25, the study followed the smokers for 14 months. Their eating and smoking habits were reassessed at one month intervals.

Correlation is not causation

While most tobacco cessation research has relied on comparative studies of static data, this study provided a more dynamic view into understanding what choices and changes acutely impact the likelihood of success.

This allows researchers to not just predict the likelihood of someone's success, it also allows them to understand what changes can be made to increase that likelihood, as more than just a correlation. While people who exercise are more likely to successfully quit smoking, past research has given scientists reason to believe that exercise doesn't directly impact success, but does indicate an increased likelihood, simply because of the individual's clear willingness to put effort towards health.

Past research is currently unclear about whether the increased consumption of fruit increases a smoker's inclination towards giving up the habit, or if, as with exercise, people who make health-positive choices are more likely to extend that trend to other areas. Earlier related studies have demonstrated that individuals who didn't smoke, consumed more fruits and vegetables than those who did smoke, but provided no insight into whether these inclinations were preexisting, or that a change to their diets influenced this propensity.

Nicotine patch vs. vegetable patch

By tracking potential changes in diet as the study progressed, researchers were able to demonstrate that the consumption of fruit and vegetables directly influenced when tobacco was consumed. Even regular smokers delayed tobacco use for longer after eating fruit or vegetables. Participants who consumed the greatest amount of fresh produce were as much as three times more likely to have not used tobacco products for at least 30 consecutive days when reassessed at final 14th month assessment.

The study adjusted to remove potential conflation with other factors, such as age, gender, ethnicity, education level, socioeconomic status, and orientation regarding health behaviors. This greatly increases the likelihood that cessation rates are increased by fruit consumption aside from the probability that someone who eats fruit is more likely to quit smoking.

Sources for this article include:
http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/05/20/ntr.nts130
http://news.yahoo.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11988380

About the author:
Raw Michelle is a natural health blogger and researcher, sharing her passions with others, using the Internet as her medium. She discusses topics in a straight forward way in hopes to help people from all walks of life achieve optimal health and well-being. She has authored and published hundreds of articles on topics such as the raw food diet and green living in general. >>> Click here to see more by Michelle