Smoking and Digestion
By: Isabelle ThomasTotal Views: 216, Word Count: 544,
Smoking has strong effects on all kinds of bodily systems and this in turn could actually change your eating habits and natural digestive processes. Several studies have established the many ways that cigarette smoking and nicotine addiction modify the sensory world of the smoker and this in turn changes your basic life habits
Smoking and digestion have been directly linked to each other as excessive smoking has negative effects on a digestive system of an individual. Let’s first see how cigarettes could make some foods unpleasant and how it decreases certain senses to see as to how this could alter the diet or digestion. To begin with, smoking diminishes the body’s ability to taste food. Not only does it to some extent deaden the taste buds but it could make them less sensitive to sweeter flavors. This is seen most frequently in the phenomenon in which smokers enjoy popular favorites such as starchy foods or chocolate a great deal less than a non smoker.
Harmful Effects of Smoking on Digestive System
Smoking could damage all parts of the digestive system, leading to common disorders such as peptic ulcers and heartburn. Smoking increases the risk of Crohn’s disease and also gallstones which forms when the liquid stored in the gallbladder hardens into pieces of stone like material. Liver is also damaged due to smoking
Heartburn
Nearly fifty million Americans have heartburn at least once a month and about 16 million have it every day. Heartburn is a symptom of a disease known as gastro esophageal reflux (GER). GER occurs when the natural acidic juices in the abdomen flow backwards into esophagus, the tube which connects the mouth to the stomach. Stomach creates the acidic juices in order to help break down the food. The abdomen is naturally protected from acidic juices but the esophagus doesn’t have the same protection. Generally, a muscular valve at the lower end of the esophagus, known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), keeps the acids in the stomach and out of the esophagus. Smoking, however, weakens the LES, which allows the abdomen acid to flow into the esophagus. When abdomen acid comes in contact with esophagus, the inner lining could be damaged or injured.
Liver Disease
The relation between smoking and digestion is elaborated further. Liver is a vital organ that has several tasks. It is responsible for processing alcohol, drugs and other toxins and eliminating them from the body. Research suggests that the liver’s ability to process such substances is harmed greatly by smoking. In some cases, the dose of medication required to treat an illness might be affected if the liver has been dented from smoking of cigarette. Research also shows that smoking could deteriorate liver disease cause by drinking excess alcohol.
Some of the effects of smoking on the digestive system appear to be of short period. For instance, the effect of smoking on the pancreas’s bicarbonate production doesn’t appear to last. The production of bicarbonate returns to normal within half an hour after smoking.
The reasons for all of the digestive problems related to smoking aren’t easy to pin down but the fact that smoking and digestion are linked together with adverse effects on the digestive system is a cause of concern.
About the Author
Isabelle Thomas has worked for 20 years in various stop smoking clinics as a psychiatrist. She has successfully treated over a thousand chain smokers. Her aim is to spread awareness regarding hazards of smoking through her blogs
Advice Rating: Not yet rated
Login to vote