Cebu City - Ever wonder how smoking cigarettes affects your body nutritionally? Despite the warnings and cautions given to us regarding the bad effects of smoking, a lot of people still do it. Alongside that bad habit is the unforeseen consequence of losing vital nutrients and the bioavailability of some. The malnutrition caused by smoking is underestimated, but it’s not too late to learn about a nutri-solution for it.

When an individual smokes what we also don’t know is that nicotine affects our body to maintain proper level of nutrients because it diminishes the absorption of the nutrients. Accompanied by faulty diet it just amplifies the malnutrition in a person. Having that type of lifestyle just aids for other health problems to set in. Nevertheless, of how detrimental the outcome is with smoking, it’s never too late to overcome the problem with nutrition.

Giving up smoking is the best option for recovering an ideal nutritional status, but a more gradual means could be beneficial for some. Since smokers typically lose water-soluble vitamins and some fat-soluble vitamins you may wonder on what the best food options are to start the process. Here are a few tips:

• Citrus fruits – Citrus fruits are typical full of vitamin C which is substantially lost when smoking. Citrus fruits like lemon, guava, calamansi, oranges, pomelo, mandarin, etc.
• Cruciferous vegetables – Vegetables like these contain isothiocyanates which prevent cancers that smokers are prone to. Examples of this kind of vegetable are broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, radish, cauliflower, horseradish, arugula, etc.
• B-vitamin rich food – The level of toxins from smoking affects the absorption of water-soluble vitamins, arm yourself with B-vitamin rich food like red meats, white meat, seafood, milk, cheese, etc.
• Vitamin & mineral supplementation – Our meals normally can’t provide all nutrients especially with smoker’s compromised nutrient absorption. Supplementation may provide the needed boost.
• Hydrate – Always drink water since smoking can cause dehydration. Take advantage by drinking lots of water also to help flush out the nicotine in your body.

Just like with any journey concerning our health it is always a process, nutrition is a process, recovery from smoking with nutrition is a process. // NO I Gab Flores, RND