Tea cigarettes are healthy cigarettes, there are foods that can eliminate "smoke poison", suddenly quit smoking and hurt your body...Don't deceive yourself! World No Tobacco Day has come to make a break with smoking
Today is May 31st, the 34th World No Tobacco Day.
Tobacco harm is one of the most serious public health problems in the world. Smoking is the chief culprit of many diseases such as chronic respiratory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes. At the same time, second-hand smoke is also harmful to health.
In addition, the results of a study published by the World Health Organization on May 11, 2020 show that among people affected by the new coronavirus, smokers have a higher risk of developing severe illness and death.
However, some theories circulating on the Internet seem to make "old smokers" again see the "hope" of not having to quit smoking.
For example, smoking tea cigarettes is healthier, smoking is harmless as long as you do not inhale your lungs, and old smokers suddenly quit smoking will hurt your body... So, are these claims reliable?
What is the truth?
In this regard, a reporter from Science and Technology Daily interviewed relevant experts.
Is tea smoke a healthy smoke?
Truth: The ashes produced by its burning contain harmful substances
After e-cigarettes, a new type of "tobacco"-tea cigarettes, has become increasingly popular.
The so-called tea cigarette is to smoke tea as tobacco.
In the advertisements of the merchants, the appearance, smoking method, and taste of tea cigarettes are similar to traditional cigarettes, but they do not contain nicotine, so the merchants call them “healthy cigarettes”.
"This view does not have sufficient scientific basis." Xiao Dan, executive director of the World Health Organization Cooperation Center for Smoking Cessation and Respiratory Disease Prevention, deputy director of the Respiratory Center of China-Japan Friendship Hospital, and director of the Tobacco Disease and Smoking Cessation Center, said in an interview with a reporter from the Science and Technology Daily , Tea cigarettes only use tea instead of tobacco, or add tea, tea extracts to cigarettes, or use tea ingredients on filters and wrappers. The harmful substances in the ashes produced by the burning of tea cigarettes still exist, or they will Harm to human health.
Zhang Jianshu, president of the Beijing Tobacco Control Association, also holds the same view.
In an interview with a reporter from the Science and Technology Daily, he said that tea is a traditional beverage in my country, and tea drinking is to absorb the beneficial ingredients in tea through the digestive tract; "puffing tea" is to burn the tea and let people inhale smoke. The two are completely different and completely different. .
"It's like eating meat can absorb nutrients such as protein, but if the meat is burned to ashes and let people inhale it, it will be harmful to the body but no benefit." He said.
Is it safe to smoke e-cigarettes?
The truth: its smoke is cytotoxic
In recent years, the sales of electronic cigarettes have increased rapidly.
Many businesses use "safe tobacco substitutes" as their selling point to promote e-cigarettes. What is the actual situation?
Xiao Dan introduced that e-cigarettes are electronic products that imitate cigarettes. They have similar appearance, smoke, taste and feel to cigarettes. Most of them are made up of cigarette liquid (including nicotine, flavor, solvent propylene glycol, etc.), power supply, atomization components and controls. Units and other components, under the action of the power supply and the control unit, the smoke liquid is heated and atomized to form smoke and inhalable aerosols, thereby producing an experience similar to using cigarettes.
"Although the content of harmful substances such as tar and suspended particles in e-cigarettes has been reduced, most e-cigarettes still use addictive nicotine as the main ingredient. Compared with traditional tobacco, they only change the soup without changing the medicine." Zhang Jianshu further Said that a variety of fragrances and compounds are often added to e-cigarettes, so people who smoke e-cigarettes are also at risk of inhaling other toxic compounds.
In short, behind the marketing of e-cigarettes "safe" and "replacement products", not only the "lethality" of traditional cigarettes is contained, but also the little-known "primitive" hazards are hidden, which should not be underestimated.
Xiao Dan said that research has found that e-cigarette liquid contains carbonyl compounds such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde.
As we all know, formaldehyde is extremely carcinogenic, and it can inhibit the movement of the cilia of respiratory epithelial cells, thereby causing damage to the respiratory tract.
Studies have also found that as the temperature of the smoke liquid increases, the concentration of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde increases significantly.
In addition, tobacco-specific nitrosamines were also detected in the e-cigarette liquid. Among them, N-nitrosonornicotine was listed as a Class I carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
"E-cigarette aerosols also contain toxic substances." Xiao Dan pointed out that tin, copper, nickel, arsenic and other heavy metal elements can be detected in aerosols. These heavy metal elements gradually accumulate in the human body and can cause damage to health, especially nervous system.
The nano-particles of e-cigarette aerosol are of very small mass. After they are inhaled, they may "hidden" in the deepest part of the human lungs for a long time, bringing health risks even greater than smoking cigarettes.
In addition, the content of carbonyl compounds in e-cigarette aerosol is positively correlated with the temperature of the heating coil in the e-cigarette. As the temperature of the heating coil increases, the concentration of harmful carbonyl compounds in the aerosol also increases.
"E-cigarette smoke is cytotoxic. Cells exposed to e-cigarette smoke are more prone to DNA damage and death." Xiao Dan said that e-cigarette aerosol contains substances such as diacetyl, which can damage the cilia function of normal human bronchial epithelial cells. .
In addition, some researchers have found that e-cigarette liquid and aerosol can produce obvious cytotoxicity to human lung fibroblasts, lung epithelial cells and human embryonic stem cells, leading to cell apoptosis and damage.
"These scientific evidences are warning us that we should be fully aware of the fact that e-cigarettes can cause harm to the human body." Xiao Dan said.
Is smoking low-tar cigarettes less harmful?
Truth: No focus reduction method can reduce the harm
"Smoking is harmful to health" has long been known to the public. With the high smoking rate in my country, tobacco has long become the number one killer of public health.
When the words "low tar and low harm" appear in tobacco products, the smoker is like taking a "relief pill."
However, is this really the case?
"This is a pseudo-scientific statement." Zhang Jianshu said that many scientific studies at home and abroad have long proved that any method and additives to reduce tar cannot really reduce the harm caused by cigarettes to the human body. Low tar cannot be equated with low harm.
"In fact, whether it is a high-tar cigarette or a low-tar cigarette, as long as it is a tobacco product, a large amount of harmful substances will be produced during the combustion process. The reduction of tar content does not mean that the content of carcinogens is also reduced." Xiao Dan said.
Relevant toxicology studies have proved that when the tar content decreases, the content of some strong carcinogens in the tar does not decrease, such as nitrosamines, fused ring aromatic hydrocarbons, etc. Therefore, reducing the amount of cigarette tar does not reduce the harm of tobacco to human health. .
In addition, for the "low nicotine cigarettes" on the market, the merchants use "low nicotine less harmful" as a marketing gimmick.
"Smoking this kind of cigarette often leads to the phenomenon of'compensation smoking'." Xiao Dan said that because the nicotine content in cigarettes is reduced, smokers will take "compensatory behavior" in order to maintain the concentration of nicotine in the body, that is, smoke more.
With the increase in the number and amount of smoking, the inhalation of other harmful substances in tobacco will also increase.
"Don't doubt that all tobacco products, including low-tar smoke and low-nicotine smoke, will seriously harm human health. To reduce the harm caused by smoking and reduce the risk of related diseases, the best way is not to smoke." Xiao Dan Say.
Smoking is harmless to the body as long as it is not inhaled into the lungs?
Truth: As long as you smoke, you can’t beat the lungs
Just inhale but not swallow, as long as smoke is not inhaled into the lungs, it is harmless to the body.
Is this view correct?
"As long as you smoke, you can't stop the lungs." Xiao Dan said that at the moment of smoking, the smoke quickly enters the lungs with the inhalation airflow. This process is beyond our control.
In addition, the smoke exhaled during smoking will be inhaled by the human body again, which is equivalent to secondhand smoke.
Harmful chemicals and carcinogens in the smoke enter the lungs through breathing and are adsorbed on clothing, which greatly increases the risk of respiratory diseases and cardiovascular diseases for smokers and their families.
At the same time, this so-called "no lung" smoking method still causes damage to the mouth and throat.
Xiao Dan pointed out that the harmful substances in cigarettes remain in the mouth, nose, pharynx, throat and other parts, causing inflammation of the salivary glands, damage to the taste buds, and greatly weakened taste and smell. It can also cause bad breath, yellowing and blackening of teeth, Diseases such as periodontal disease and oral leukoplakia can greatly increase the risk of cancers such as oral cancer, bronchial cancer, and larynx cancer in smokers.
Suddenly quitting smoking hurts your body?
Truth: It is normal to have withdrawal symptoms after quitting smoking
There is a folk saying: Don't quit smoking lightly. If you quit smoking suddenly, it will hurt your body.
Is there a scientific basis for this statement?
"This statement is not correct." Xiao Dan pointed out that after some "old smokers" suddenly quit smoking, they will have symptoms such as smoking, itching, restlessness, headaches, insomnia, anxiety, etc., making them feel like they are sick.
Clinically, these symptoms are "withdrawal symptoms" that appear after smoking cessation.
"Years of smoking behavior has made their bodies dependent on tobacco. After abruptly quitting smoking, their bodies will naturally have some abnormalities. These abnormal reactions are often manifestations of their bodies getting better gradually." She said.
There are rumors on the Internet that it is easy to get lung cancer after quitting smoking. How true is this statement?
"This result is due to long-term smoking and has nothing to do with quitting smoking." Xiao Dan pointed out that the cancer was diagnosed after quitting smoking suddenly, either by a coincidence in time or by going to the hospital due to withdrawal symptoms and found cancer. .
If you take the initiative to check your body before quitting smoking, you will also find cancer.
Whether you have cancer or not has nothing to do with quitting smoking. Long-term smoking will increase the risk of cancer.
"Therefore, we hope that all smokers quit smoking as soon as possible, and it is not too late to start quitting at any time." Xiao Dan emphasized.
Can eating certain foods get rid of "smoke poison"?
Truth: Only by quitting smoking can you really get rid of "toxins"
Everyone knows that smoking is harmful to health, but there are always people who can't let go of their cigarettes.
Therefore, in order to cater to this group of people, some people on the Internet have published "toxin-eliminating" foods, including common fruits such as pears, starfruits, and dates.
"So far, the academic community has not given evidence that eating certain foods can eliminate'toxins'." Xiao Dan said that the harm of smoking to the human body is mainly reflected in two aspects: physically, harmful substances in tobacco will enter. Human lungs and other organs cause chronic respiratory diseases, malignant tumors, etc.; chemically, harmful substances in tobacco can induce peroxidation, etc., which increase the risk of various diseases in the human body.
The food is digested by the gastrointestinal tract and becomes small molecules that are absorbed into the bloodstream, which cannot play the role of "smoke poisoning".
Some people would say that some plant extracts (tea, etc.) contain various antioxidant components, which can relieve the peroxidation state of the human body caused by smoking to a certain extent.
Xiao Dan believes that from this perspective, drinking tea or consuming certain plant extracts may have some benefits, but such benefits are limited and lack of scientific evidence.
"In short, there is currently no sufficient scientific evidence to show that eating certain foods can reduce the harm of smoking to the human body. If you want to really eliminate'toxins from smoking', there is only one way to quit smoking." Xiao Dan emphasized.
(Intern reporter Yu Ziyue)