Quit Smoking… Natural Help

Quitting smoking can be extremely difficult. The physical withdrawal symptoms can be quite extreme and the psychological addiction can sink its claws into your mind stronger than you think.

There are several herbs with a traditional reputation for helping people quit smoking. These herbs exert varying effects that will ease the process of smoking cessation. This is a description of how some of the products contained here will aid smoking cessation.

Have you tried Zyban and/or Chantix?
Were they too expensive? Were you afraid of the side effects?

Did you try quitting cold turkey, but the stress and cravings were too much?

It is very difficult to stop smoking. All the popular advice and therapies do not have great success rates.
Doctor's advice = 2%
Psychological help = 2%
Hypnosis = poss 23%
Nicotine gum = 13%
Nicotine patches = 13%

Acupuncture and exercise can also help.
Hypnosis does appear to have a good success rate, but properly monitored data is difficult to obtain. Overall, willpower and simply going 'cold turkey' appears to achieve the best results. Maybe trying herbs in conjunction may increase success.

Herbalith

Valerian: One of the premier sedative herbs used to aid people with anxiety, stress, and insomnia. Valerian is clearly one of the herbs of choice in smoking cessation to deal with the issues of insomnia, restlessness, and anxiety.

Passion Flower: promotes calmness and relaxation, which will help with the irritability you may experience.

L-Tryptophan: a naturally occurring amino acid, widely believed to help calm cigarette cravings as you try to quit smoking. It builds the neurotransmitter serotonin. This neurotransmitter is extremely important in balancing our sleep patterns and filtering all sensory input, so the brain is not overloaded or overwhelmed by excessive sensory information it receives. Optimal levels of serotonin also help us to be more hopeful, optimistic, patient and more able to respond thoughtfully and carefully.

Theanine: a natural amino acid found small amounts in green tea and certain mushrooms. As a supplement, it crosses into the brain and completes against exciting neurotransmitters—this directly competes with nicotine. L-theanine has a wonderful calming effect with little potential for side effects and is a perfect adjunct for smoking cessation. It also improves focus and concentration. It does not cause sedation during the day, but does improve natural sleep at night.

Tyrosine: is a nonessential amino acid, meaning it can be made within the human body. It is a building block for several important neurotransmitters, which help nerve cells communicate and affect mood. This may help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms of nicotine.

Rather than acting as a herb to stop smoking, turmeric is thought to aid in the removal the cancer causing agents from the lungs.
Rhodigandha

Ashwagandha: derived from a plant belonging to the pepper family, found in India and Africa. Steroid chemicals known as withanolides, present in the roots of the plant, are felt to provide for many of its medicinal properties. Being similar to cortisol, withanolides may provide feedback to the brain, thus moderating cortisol secretion by the adrenal glands. These chemicals also have anti-inflammatory effects and direct calming effects on the brain. Ashwagandha also contains potent anti-oxidants. The net effect is increased tolerance to stress, thus ashwagandha is often referred to as an “adaptogen”. Increased stress tolerance is very desirable for smoking cessation. Ashwagandha has been consumed by humans for thousands of years in India and Africa and is well tolerated with little potential for side effects.

Rhodiola Rosea is the latest natural remedy to join the arsenal of natural anxiety and stress reducers. Studies of Rhodiola Rosea show that it stimulates neurotransmitters and enhances their effects on the brain. This includes the ability for the brain to process serotonin which helps the body to adapt to stress. Since adaptogens improve the body's overall ability to handle stress, it has been studied to identify it's effects on biological, chemical and physical stress. Rhodiola is suggested to improve symptoms of withdrawal in mice.

Female Balance

Black cohosh: Is commonly used by women to help them stay balanced during their monthly cycle and for hot flashes. However, it is also known to be a safe sedative that relieves nervousness and anxiety, which makes it useful for the irritability, restlessness, and nervousness associated with quitting smoking.

Korean ginseng: Is one of the most popular herbs in the world for stimulating energy and helping the body to deal with stress. This property enables ginseng to help alleviate the fatigue and anxiety related to quitting smoking. Ginseng is known to help reestablish balance in the body’s systems, which can be helpful to smokers as their bodies adjust to the absence of nicotine.

Motherwort: Has properties that enable it to act as a sedative, inducing tranquility in times of anxiety associated with quitting smoking.

Valerian: The exact mechanism is unclear, but valerian root seems to interact with GABA receptors in the brain, causing a sedative effect. Since many nicotine cravings are caused by stress and anxiety, this calming effect may help stave off cravings.

Gotu Kola Smoking lowers the memory of smokers. This problem can be solved by appropriate intake of Gotu kola which is useful to improve memory. It also plays an important role in improving the blood circulation throughout the body. Thus, it helps in controlling the damage caused by smoking to some extent.

The FDA has not evaluated any of these statements or this treatment and there is no guarantee of cure with this treatment. Results may vary.