Winter Maladies: Natural Approaches
June Russell's Health Facts
Smoking - Digestive System
Smoking has been shown to have harmful effects on all parts of the digestive system, contributing to such common disorders as heartburn and peptic ulcers. It also increases the risk of Crohn’s Disease and possibly gallstones. Smoking seems to affect the liver by changing the way it handles drugs and alcohol. Smoking decreases the strength of the esophageal valve, allowing stomach juice to flow backward to the esophagus. Ulcers are more likely to occur in smokers, less likely to heal, and more likely to cause death in smokers than in nonsmokers.
Smoking alters the ability of the liver to handle substances like drugs, alcohol and other toxins, and may influence the dose of medication needed. (“Smoking and Your Digestive System,” stopgettingsick.com - May 2001)
Current smoking increases the risk of ulcer perforation tenfold. (Norwegian study in the journal ‘Gut,’ in August 1997 - Self Healing newsletter, May 1999)
If you have heartburn, it might be your cigarettes - not your food. (Pritikin Program for Diet and Exercise)
Smokers have more than twice the risk for Crohn’s disease, says Medical
Tribune, in GreatLife magazine, Oct. 1998)