Abstinence from smoking obviously increases nicotine cravings but foods can add to these impulses, according to a report published in "Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology." If you are already struggling with withdrawal, this phenomenon can explain why your cravings are sometimes even worse. They can be unique to your own personal tastes or perhaps more universal.
Sweets
Sugar and nicotine have a symbiotic relationship. Sugar plays havoc with your blood sugar. When it rises, then falls, your body demands another high. This makes you crave more sweets but cigarettes can also fill that void. According to HelpGuide.org, nicotine also releases sugar into your system. Tobacco can contain sugar or is cured with sugar.
Red Meat
Some foods just seem to make cigarettes taste better, according to a Duke University study. Eleven percent of the study subjects felt that meat enhanced the taste of tobacco. Once your mind has made the association that nicotine is going to be particularly satisfying after eating a steak, it can be hard to break the cycle. The exception was subjects who regularly smoked menthol products. They were less likely to taste a difference in nicotine after eating certain foods.
Beverages
Coffee and alcohol also made the list among the Duke University subjects as making nicotine taste better, according to 45 percent and 44 percent of the subjects respectively. Alcohol not only has a neurobiological impact that makes you physically yearn for a cigarette, but also affects the pre-frontal cortex area of the brain, the part that governs decision-making. While you're craving nicotine, your brain might also have a hard time remembering why you no longer want to smoke. Caffeine also causes a neurobiological reaction that will make you crave a cigarette. It is contained in colas, chocolate, tea and some over-the-counter medications as well as coffee.
Tips
Mental associations can be a powerful thing when you're trying to quit smoking but are easier to fight than physical triggers. For example, if you always have a chicken sandwich at lunch and you always used to have a cigarette after eating, that chicken sandwich can incite a nicotine craving. It's your mind that's causing the craving, not the chicken. Shake things up and try new foods that you can't possibly associate with smoking, as long it's not a hamburger or anything sweet. If you're a heavy coffee drinker, you might gain an advantage in quitting that first. When you've gotten past that challenge, turn your attention to quitting the nicotine. If you attempt both at the same time, the stress could reduce your chances of success.
References
- Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology; Effects of d-Amphetamine and Smoking Abstinence on Cue-Induced Cigarette Craving; Karen M. Alsene, et al.; August 2005
- American Cancer Society: Quitting Smoking -- Help for Cravings and Tough Situations
- University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health; Tobacco Use -- How To Avoid It Once You've Quit
- Duke Cancer Institute: Dairy, Fruits and Veggies May Help Smokers Quit
- HelpGuide: How To Quit Smoking
Member Comments