There is a major misconception among smokers that it takes a very long time to experience any improvement in health and well-being after quitting smoking. If you are having such doubt then read this article.

Smoking Addiction – The Ayurvedic View

Ayurveda considers nicotine used for smoking highly toxic if consumed in large quantity. According to Ayurveda, its effect on the body is the complete opposite of ojas (source of energy), which is a prerequisite for good health and wellness. Ojas has all life-giving properties and nicotine has life-negating qualities.

Smoking decreases ojas in the body.

Ayurvedic herbal smoking (Dhumpana) is the best alternative for regular smoking. Combined with a healthy diet, Ayurvedic herbs and physical exercise, Ayurvedic herbal smoking may help you get rid of your smoking habit easily, without any adverse effects. 

The Properties Of Nicotine

The taste of nicotine is pungent and bitter. It is light in digestion and has a penetrating nature. Its potency is hot. It undergoes a pungent taste after digestion, reduces Kapha and Vata dosha (Kaphavata shamaka) and increases Pitta dosha. It has an intoxicating effect¹.

The Properties Of Ojas

Following are the properties of ojas²:

Ojas has the exact opposite quality of nicotine. It is an excellent and unctuous part of every dhatu or tissue. It has sweet, cool and liquid properties. It is unctuous, viscous, clear and white, responsible for stability and strength of the organs of the body. It is capable of flowing and permeating, and it is the nutrition of the best quality, slimy, the seat of life, sticky, and the source of happiness. It bestows strength and is one of the vital entities, expansible and present throughout the entire body. It is responsible for overall health, energy and liveliness.

Moreover, an individual wanes and dies in the absence ojas. Ojas is responsible for the stability of all sensory stimuli. A disturbance of any kind endangers life.

As one quits smoking the toxicity of nicotine begins to revert and thereby ojas of the body begins to increase. Ojas is responsible for promoting health, strengthening the immune system, and fighting and preventing disease. So try to include rejuvenating foods (those that increase ojas) in your diet and avoid smoking as it inhibits the production of ojas.

Recent research has shown that as soon as you quit smoking, a series of health benefits begin in as little as an hour after the last cigarette and the benefits continue to improve.³

Ayurvedic herbal smoking (Dhumpana) is the best alternative for regular smoking. Combined with a healthy diet, Ayurvedic herbs and physical exercise, Ayurvedic herbal smoking may help you get rid of your smoking habit easily, without any adverse effects. 

Immediate Health Effects Of Quitting Smoking

Quitting smoking can have multiple effects. Take a look at them below⁴:

Upon cessation of smoking, within 20 minutes after quitting, blood pressure and heart rate decrease.

Within 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels in the blood decrease to normal.

Nicotine levels drop to very low levels within a few hours, and the main metabolites of nicotine are largely eliminated within one week.

After 24 hours the level of carbon monoxide in the blood decreases substantially.

Within 48 hours, nerve endings and the sense of smell and taste both start recovering.

After four weeks small airway function improves, with further improvements after six months.

After two months, improvements can be seen in blood viscosity, blood flow to the limbs and blood levels of high-density cholesterol.

Within 3 months, circulation and lung function improves.

Within six months the immune system improves greatly. The cilia in the lungs and airways improve at sweeping mucus and debris from the lungs (as long as irreversible damage has not taken place). Lung function improves and the presence and severity of respiratory symptoms reduces. Symptoms of chronic bronchitis, such as chronic cough, mucus production and wheezing decreases rapidly. Lung function in asthmatic patients
improves. Rates of respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia also decrease, compared to continued smoking.

Ayurvedic herbal smoking (Dhumpana) is the best alternative for regular smoking. Combined with a healthy diet, Ayurvedic herbs and physical exercise, Ayurvedic herbal smoking may help you get rid of your smoking habit easily, without any adverse effects. 

Within nine months, there is a decrease in cough and shortness of breath.

Within one year, the risk of coronary heart disease is cut in half.

Within five years, the risk of stroke falls to the same as a a non-smoker, and the risks of many cancers (mouth, throat, oesophagus, bladder, cervix) decrease significantly.

Within ten years, the risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half and the risks of larynx and pancreas cancers decrease.

Within 15 years, the risk of coronary heart disease drops to the level of a non-smoker, and the risk for developing COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is also lowered.

Short To Medium-Term Reductions In Health Risks Following Quitting Smoking

Heart Disease

Risk of cardiovascular disease and death for male and female smokers of all ages with or without existing heart disease is reduced.

Peripheral vascular tone is improved and atherosclerosis, the narrowing and hardening of the arteries due to build-up of plaque on the artery walls, the main cause for heart disease and stroke, is prevented. It improves exercise tolerance among middle-aged men and women.

Stroke

There is a marked reduction in stroke risk within two to five years of quitting. After 15 years the risk of stroke is the same as a non-smoker.

Oral health

The risk of oral diseases associated with smoking including cancer are reduced and the health of the mouth, gums and teeth is markedly improved.

Ayurvedic herbal smoking (Dhumpana) is the best alternative for regular smoking. Combined with a healthy diet, Ayurvedic herbs and physical exercise, Ayurvedic herbal smoking may help you get rid of your smoking habit easily, without any adverse effects. 

The risk of leucoplakia and developing periodontitis slowly disappears.

The progression of existing disease slows down, and the speed of wound healing is improved. Gum color gradually returns to normal and so-called ‘smoker’s palate’ can disappear. Stopping smoking improves the success rate of dental implants.

Problems During Pregnancy

It is extremely dangerous for a woman to smoke during pregnancy. Stopping smoking before or during pregnancy is important and has benefits for both the baby and the mother.

Specific Long Term Health Benefits

• Lung Cancer

Quitting at the age of 30 reduces the risk of lung cancer by several times compared to a lifetime smoker. Quitting at 50 more than halves the risk over the next 25 years compared to continued smoking.

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Smoking cessation is the only proven strategy for reducing the disease-causing processes leading to COPD. Cessation reduces decline in lung function. In smokers without COPD, stopping smoking improves lung function by about 5% within a few months of cessation.

• Other Cancers

Smoking cessation reduces the disease-causing processes leading to cancer. The risks of cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx, oesophagus, stomach, bladder, kidneys, pancreas and cervix are reduced after quitting compared to continued smoking, and continue to decrease over time.

Ayurvedic herbal smoking (Dhumpana) is the best alternative for regular smoking. Combined with a healthy diet, Ayurvedic herbs and physical exercise, Ayurvedic herbal smoking may help you get rid of your smoking habit easily, without any adverse effects. 

The risk of pancreatic, oral and cervical cancers quite quickly become similar to people who have never smoked.

• Peripheral Vascular Disease

Quitting slows down the build-up of plaque on the artery walls, so that the risk of the disease is substantially reduced.

• Blindness

Risks and progression of cataract development and macular degeneration are reduced.

• Male Erectile Dysfunction 

Male erectile dysfunction is reduced after smoking cessation.

• Female Fertility

Missed and painful periods are reduced. Risk of delayed conception and early menopause is reduced. The higher risk of heart disease and stroke among women smokers who use the contraceptive pill is reduced.

Ayurvedic herbal smoking (Dhumpana) is the best alternative for regular smoking. Combined with a healthy diet, Ayurvedic herbs and physical exercise, Ayurvedic herbal smoking may help you get rid of your smoking habit easily, without any adverse effects. 

• Overall Health Improves

Overall health and quality of life improves, with some evidence that heavier smokers report greater improvement in quality of life after quitting and report feeling happier compared with when they were smoking.

Ex-smokers experience a meaningful increase in subjective well-being (i.e. satisfaction with life) from quitting.

A 2014 meta-analysis reported that smoking cessation is associated with reduced depression, anxiety, and stress, and improved positive mood compared with continuing to smoke.

Quitting has also been linked with less financial stress among women.

Other Benefits Of Quitting Smoking

Financial savings for a 20-cigarette pack-a-day smoker is about $7500.00 per year
(2016 prices). Smokers who quit smoking reduce their likelihood of financial stress and are likely to enhance their material wellbeing. Public and private places become smoke free.

Ayurvedic herbal smoking (Dhumpana) is the best alternative for regular smoking. Combined with a healthy diet, Ayurvedic herbs and physical exercise, Ayurvedic herbal smoking may help you get rid of your smoking habit easily, without any adverse effects. 

Quitting avoids further smoking-related damage to skin, and slows the development of wrinkles.

According to the American Heart Association, on average, non-smokers live 14-15 years longer than those who smoke cigarettes. With restored lung function, circulation, and cardiovascular health, those years are spent being active and healthy. So, take on the challenge to quit smoking and start working hard on it from now onwards.