Many people assume that tobacco makers intentionally added nicotine in their products. But nicotine is actually an insecticide used by tobacco growers to poison the insects and other small animals eating the tobacco leaves. Unfortunately, it does the same to its human cultivists.
Out of all the more than 4,000 chemicals inhaled by smokers, nicotine is the most dangerous. Just a drop of it (around 30mg) can be lethal. Repeated exposure to it can result in nicotine tolerance and lead to smoking addiction, which is linked to a number of diseases, including chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer.
How can I eliminate nicotine from my system?
Experts recommend gradual smoking reduction coupled by nicotine detoxification for effective and eventual smoking cessation without the difficult and painful withdrawal period. So, consider adding these four healthy foods in your daily diet:
Pure Orange Juice
Orange juice is a highly effective home recipe for clearing out nicotine from the body, especially for those who want to quit cold turkey. For one thing, it flushes out the drug without completely depleting the body of the necessary nicotine needed to taper the withdrawal symptoms. It must be avoided by those taking nicotine replacement medications though for the same reason stated above.
Broccoli
You can reduce the nicotine level in your body by eating broccoli alone. This green leafy vegetable is rich in vitamin B5 and vitamin C, which replenishes the vitamin C you lost when smoking. Research shows that vitamin C is an anti-oxidant that fights free radicals and toxic chemicals that enter the body, keeping you clean and healthy inside.
Carrot Juice
Nicotine, when inhaled, can reach the brain, enter our blood system, and stay in our body for three days – wreaking havoc to our skin. Thankfully, there’s carrot juice to combat this negative effect. The juice is rich in essential skin nutrients, such as vitamin A, C, K and B, which are proven effective in flushing out nicotine from our body.
Water
Water can flush out almost all kinds of harmful drugs and chemicals from the body, and nicotine is one of them. This drug is highly soluble in water, so drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water a day will rid it out of your system faster. To add flavor and zest to your drink, you may add lemon slices or watermelon chunks in your water. The latter especially contains the organic compound citrulline, an amino acid that helps the body flush out toxins.