When smoking can actually prevent disease

[qubit]

This is the first I hear of a genuine benefit where the normally killer habit of smoking can actually improve health.

http://www.kernelmag.com/features/report/7090/i-have-the-only-disease-smoking-can-prevent

 

[Frick]

Interesting, but he does come across as sort of shitty. I mean yes the anti smoking lobby thing is probably silly where he lives, but smoking IS bloody, bloody dangerous. If I cut my leg of I will never break my toes.

The moral of the story? Stop listening to the kill-joys and spark up your next fag guilt-free, safe in the knowledge that you’re warding off shitty bum disease. And don’t eat celeriac.

It would be interesting to see how much nicotine is needed for it to make an effect. And remember smoking is bad not only because the nikotine, but the smoke itself as well. Make nikotine pills or somethin. Electronic cigarettes would be his better choice.

 

[johnspack]

150 poisons, 70 of which are cancer causing. Both my father and mother done in from it. My grandmother done in from it. I will admit to switching to an ecigarette now, so I don't deal with the tobacco and the chemicals that cause it. Nicotine itself is not cancer causing, and in small amounts can actually show health benefits. Weird shit....

 

[Tatty_Two]

Interesting, but he does come across as sort of shitty. I mean yes the anti smoking lobby thing is probably silly where he lives, but smoking IS bloody, bloody dangerous. If I cut my leg of I will never break my toes.



It would be interesting to see how much nicotine is needed for it to make an effect. And remember smoking is bad not only because the nikotine, but the smoke itself as well. Make nikotine pills or somethin. Electronic cigarettes would be his better choice.

Nicotene whilst not harmless is not what causes anything major with smoking, it's the combination of tar, chemical preservatives and carbon monoxide that kills you, well kills some but in my country there are several other even bigger killers than smoking, obesity (3 times more people die from diet related coronary heart desease than smoking related heart disease) being at the top of the ladder.

 

[qubit]

It doesn't surprise me that nicotine can have medicinal benefits, as there are thousands of compounds in our bodies that useful or even essential in our bodies at small doses, but will poison us at higher concentrations.

 

[RCoon]

If the nicotine is what is protective then he's better off doing snuff like i used to. Almost no health risks , far cheaper and less smelly.

 

[the54thvoid]

Read the link article and for sure the writer is one of those reactionary pricks that just enjoys going 180 degrees to the common consensus. You can get nicotine patches for UC - you certainly dont need to smoke and if you dig further, it doesn't help women smokers and it doesn't influence the rate of colectomy. What's worse is the rate of UC in former smokers is even higher.

I have a work colleague who has it and I know from his words it is cripplingly painful. He smoked while he had it and has now given up.

Found this from the world Journal of Gastroenterology. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21734782)

Ulcerative colitis in smokers, non-smokers and ex-smokers.
Bastida G, Beltrán B.
Author information
Abstract
Smoking is a major environmental factor that interferes in the establishment and clinical course of ulcerative colitis (UC). Firstly, the risk of smoking status impact in the development of UC is reviewed, showing that current smoking has a protective association with UC. Similarly, being a former smoker is associated with an increased risk of UC. The concept that smoking could have a role in determining the inflammatory bowel disease phenotype is also discussed. Gender may also be considered, as current smoking delays disease onset in men but not in women. No clear conclusions can be driven from the studies trying to clarify whether childhood passive smoking or prenatal smoke exposure have an influence on the development of UC, mainly due to methodology flaws. The influence of smoking on disease course is the second aspect analysed. Some studies show a disease course more benign in smokers that in non-smokers, with lower hospitalizations rates, less flare-ups, lower use of oral steroids and even less risk of proximal extension. This is not verified by some other studies. Similarly, the rate of colectomy does not seem to be determined by the smoking status of the patient. The third issue reviewed is the use of nicotine as a therapeutic agent. The place of nicotine in the treatment of UC is unclear, although it could be useful in selected cases, particularly in recent ex-smokers with moderate but refractory attacks of UC. Finally, the effect of smoking cessation in UC patients is summarised. Given that smoking represents a major worldwide cause of death, for inpatients with UC the risks of smoking far outweigh any possible benefit. Thus, physicians should advise, encourage and assist UC patients who smoke to quit.