Cannabis is best consumed pure however many people mix it with tobacco. Both pure or mixed, burning a substance and inhaling it causes negative effects on the body. While pure Cannabis may contain up to 20 times more ammonia than tobacco when smoked, tobacco has the full spectrum of unhealthy elements and molecules possible. So it makes sense to be aware of things if you choose to smoke. You may be able to do some things in your daily life to counteract some of the negative aspects of smoking.
Of course using organic or non additive tobacco, foam filters to catch tar, unbleached rolling papers, and lighters filled with butane gas will always be smarter but these are small gestures in the scheme of things in reality.
Smoking produces free radicals which are unstable molecules having an odd number of electrons. These free radicals need to recover electrons from other molecules to stabilize, creating new radicals within the body organs.
Free radicals damage cells in our body and can change DNA resulting in cellular aging. There are some natural mechanisms designed to repair the damage but they are also encoded in the DNA and can therefore also be damaged which can lead to the onset of degenerative diseases such as cancer.
Our liver naturally produces potent antioxidants to combat free radicals but it is not enough for smokers.
The solution for smokers is to be aware of their daily use and to compensate it with supplements that counteract free radicals. Antioxidants are molecules that are able to donate electrons to free radicals without losing their own molecular integrity. Antioxidants are found in food and dietary supplements such as
- Vitamin C; a water soluble antioxidant.90% of all other mammals produce their own source of Vitamin C but we lost this capacity or never had it so we rely on food and drink to provide our daily requirement. This vitamin is needed to make collagen: a protein responsible for growing and repairing cells in our body from skin to muscle. It also reduces blood sugar levels and increases ones resistance in the immune system. A suggested dose of slow release vitamin C would be 1000 mg daily, but the body will reject surplus vitamins and minerals if the body does not need it, hence a slow release system is best for the body.
- Vitamin E; is a fat soluble antioxidant. Vitamin C and E work together to recycle one another. Vitamin E is one of the first lines of defense against free radical damage to the lungs when we breathe in pollution or smoke. Food sources containing Vitamin E are hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, vegetable oils like grape seed oil, seeds, green leafy vegetables and breakfast cereals fortified with Vitamin E. A suggested dose of 200 mg per day would serve a smoker well. Higher doses can work adversely on the heart over periods of time.
- N Acetyl Cysteine (NAC); is a very important amino acid and a precursor of Glutathione, one of the most important natural antioxidant in our body. Mucus is mainly composed of NAC and most cough syrups are based on NAC. A suggested dose of 500-600 mg per day.
- CoQ-10; is found in every single cell of the body and is a very important nutrient in boosting your cells energy levels and supports heart health. Your body naturally produces CoQ-10 but around 25 years old the levels decrease dramatically attributing to mental and physical fatigue with age Smoking reduces the body`s ability to produce this nutrient. A suggested dose of 30-50 mg per day is advisable.
- Carotenoids; is a family of fat soluble antioxidants essential for the body. While Vitamin E protects the subcutaneous fat (upper levels), Carotenoids protects all layers. With over 600 different Carotenoids known to date it is best to take this as a single supplement.
- Zinc; excellent for the immune system and helps with poor appetite as well as speeds up healing of wounds. A suggested dose of 7-15mg per day is advised.
- Magnesium ; is great for insomnia, stress and menstrual pain. It also helps absorb calcium in your body. A suggested daily dose of 150 mg is advised.
- Selenium ; is an antioxidant that is used for arthritis, cancer and HIV symptoms. A dose of 100 to 200 ug is suggested daily.
- The B vitamins help individuals suffering stress or nervous conditions as well as people who use alcohol regularly.
Food supplements such as alpha lipoic acid, pycnogenol, rosmarinic acid, and the large family of flavonoids all help counteracting free radical damage.
The foods smokers should be using to maximize their balance to smoking on a daily basis are
- Green Tea: replacing coffee with green tea will be an excellent initiative for one’s health.
- Juice of pomegranate, cranberry and other red fruits. In recent tests pomegranate has been found to have the most antioxidant and strong anti cancer properties.
- Turmeric; a brilliantly yellow spice used in India has anti-inflammatory; anti cancer and antioxidant properties…it can easily be mixed with pepper for daily use on food.
- Cocoa contains many strong antioxidants but as chocolate at least 70% cocoa is necessary and milk chocolate strongly limits the positive effects of the antioxidants ability to work well.
- Vegetables especially the Cabbage family such as broccoli contains many antioxidants including sulforaphanes which are powerful anti cancer elements. Making sprouts of these foods will be the highest form of the antioxidant properties as well as easily able to prepare in salads.
- Red wine, cold pressed grape seed oil and Cognac all made from the grape, have high antioxidant values if not used in excess!
- A variety of fruits and vegetables used together will be the most full spectrum antioxidant food to ingest. Pay attention to different colored foods to mix as the diversity of antioxidants is a great blend and beneficial for the body.
Different antioxidants used in conjunction together and released over a period of the day are optimum for the body and will protect the body against smoke damage. Remember drinking plenty of water with minerals will aid the cells processing ability as well as ensure the cells of the body do not dehydrate.
We all know smoking anything is not good for the body. However considering many people do things that are not always positive on the body it is essential to counteract negatives with a smart diet and some daily exercise. Of course it relies entirely on the individual but being a Sensible Smoker is something that will increase longevity and general health not to mention make smoking a more pleasurable activity.
By Shantibaba
From: Dolce Vita Italy n° 46
