One in four adults in Europe reaches for a cigarette several times a day, and the number of smokers is also relatively high among young people. Due to peer pressure, social involvement, curiosity or personal problems, extremely young people often come into contact with cigarettes at a very early age. Although the majority of smokers are aware of the possible health consequences of smoking, they do not give up cigarette consumption. Regarding the life expectancy of smokers, a study shows that men who smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day reduce their life expectancy by an average of 9.4 years. Women lose an average of 7.3 years. Those who smoke fewer than 10 cigarettes a day still lose about 5 years (both sexes).
Consequences of smoking
Tobacco and its harmful substances
With each puff of a cigarette, in addition to harmful pollutants – such as carbon monoxide, nitrosamines, benzoepyrene, benzene, hydrogen cyanide, aldehydes, cadmium, polonium – another 4,000 chemicals – with unknown effects – and 210 trillion free radicals enter our bodies, consuming essential antioxidants. Thus, there is a severe reduction of vitamins C, A, E, beta-carotene, zinc and selenium. The lack of antioxidants causes that the damaging free radicals are not sufficiently neutralized, whereby new free radicals are constantly formed as metabolic intermediates due to chain reactions in the body (= oxidative stress). In addition to antioxidants, free radicals also attack and damage the body’s own proteins and lipids as well as DNA. The unsaturated fatty acids found in cholesterol are oxidized and are then considered harmful foreign substances in their altered form and can thus stick to the artery walls. Finally, smokers increase their risk of peripheral arterial disease, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease such as coronary artery disease (CAD) due to free radicals, carbon monoxide, and more than 60 carcinogenic substances. The DNA is affected in its structure by attacking the bases, which changes the genetic code – this can be the initiator of carcinomas, depending on the genetic individuality. Regular cigarette consumption with the intake of pollutants, carbon monoxide and other toxins is responsible for one third of all tumor diseases, fatal myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) and apoplectic strokes. The hydrogen cyanide contained can cause visual disturbances and amblyopia. The harmful formaldehyde causes the development of carcinomas of the respiratory organs. Cadmium in cigarette smoke has a toxic effect on the body as a heavy metal and contributes to severe organ damage. Smokers have three to four times as much cadmium in their blood as nonsmokers.
Immune System
The airways of smokers are particularly at risk because the excess of free radicals, as well as the lack of antioxidants, makes the upper airways more susceptible to viruses and bacteria, which are slow to be destroyed. The necessary vital substances to protect the organism from such pathogens are lacking. Cigarette smoke is thus an immune-damaging factor and severely impairs our body’s defenses. This is impressively demonstrated by the fact that smokers can become infected with the HIV virus up to a factor of 3.5 more easily, which researchers found out by evaluating 6 individual studies. Since the energy consumption – basal metabolic rate – for maintaining bodily functions is increased by smoking, those affected need correspondingly more food energy as well as nutrients and vital substances. If smokers do not pay attention to a varied diet, their bodies do not have enough immune substances to protect them from environmental pollutants and other external influences. The immune system of smokers is therefore more susceptible to infections than that of non-smokers. Furthermore, people who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day have a significantly increased risk of suffering from diabetes mellitus in old age.
Tumor diseases (cancers)
The following tumor diseases, among others, are consequences of smoking:
- Bronchial carcinoma (lung cancer).
- Cervical carcinoma (cancer of the cervix)
- Bile duct carcinoma (bile duct cancer)
- Urinary bladder carcinoma (urinary bladder cancer)
- Hypernephroma (renal cell carcinoma).
- Carcinoma of the oral cavity
- Carcinoma of the paranasal sinuses
- Carcinoma of the trachea (windpipe)
- Colon carcinoma (cancer of the large intestine)
- Laryngeal carcinoma (cancer of the larynx)
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (heptocellular carcinoma, HCC; liver cancer).
- Leukemia – acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
- Gastric carcinoma (stomach cancer)
- Mammary carcinoma (breast cancer)
- Esophageal carcinoma (cancer of the esophagus)
- Pancreatic carcinoma (cancer of the pancreas)
- Spinalioma (prickle cell cancer)
- Cervical carcinoma (cervical cancer)
Fertility (fertility)
Tobacco use reduces fertility (fertility). The pollutants ingested with cigarettes cause disturbances in hormonal control, affect follicle maturation (egg maturation) in women and sperm production in men. Consequently, the conception of smoking women becomes much more difficult and the probability of conceiving a child is reduced by more than 30%, as the noxious cervical mucus (cervical mucus) makes it difficult for sperm to ascend [5.6].
Other effects
- Weakening of the immune system
- Increased blood lipid and cholesterol levels
- Increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus type II
- Peripheral arterial occlusive disease
- Atherosclerosis
- Coronary artery disease (CAD)
- Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
- Apoplexy (stroke)
- Severe organ damage
- Premature skin aging
- Renal dysfunction
- Cell damage caused by heavy metals and other toxic substances.
- Damage to DNA and possible changes to the genetic code.
- Inflammation in the digestive tract
- Osteoporosis (bone loss)
- Other diseases as a result of tobacco abuse see below “Tobacco abuse / Consequential diseases”.
If alcohol or caffeine is consumed in addition to tobacco, the health impairments as well as the symptoms of disease intensify and there is an additive effect. The body is confronted with several toxic substances at the same time and does not have sufficient defense mechanisms – due to the constant degradation – to make the toxic substances harmless.
Smoking and vital substances
Vitamin C
One cigarette can consume up to 30 mg of vitamin C, depleting vitamin C reserves very quickly the more often a cigarette is reached for. Thus, vitamin C requirements are more than twice those of nonsmokers. Smoking and the resulting vitamin C deficits increase blood lipid and cholesterol levels and the risk of blood clots, premature aging of the skin, and gingivitis (inflammation of the gums)
Vitamin D and B vitamins
Cigarette smoking decreases the reserves of vitamin D, folic acid (vitamin B9), vitamin B12, and other B vitamins. For example, as a result of smoking and a deficiency of zinc as well as vitamin B2, the conversion of vitamin B6 into its active form as a coenzyme – pyridoxal-5-phosphate – which is involved in numerous processes in the body, is blocked. If the vitamin B12 as well as folic acid levels are greatly reduced, smokers experience severe memory and concentration disorders, weakness attacks, irritability, heavy as well as unusual bleeding, inflammation in the entire digestive tract and consequently reduced absorption of vital substances, loss of appetite and weight loss
Zinc, selenium, and calcium
Low zinc and selenium status promotes cell damage because the protective effect of these trace elements against heavy metals and other toxic substances from cigarette smoke is absent, causing lead and cadmium, for example, to accumulate in the body. Cadmium is deposited in the kidneys and can cause functional disorders there [1.1]. Smokers are also at greater risk of osteoporosis (bone loss) and fractures (broken bones), as minerals – especially calcium – are increasingly lost from the bones. Smoking – vital substance deficiency
| Vital substance deficiency | Deficiency symptoms |
| Vitamin C |
Decreased oxidation protection increases the risk for
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| Vitamin D |
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| Beta-carotene | Decreased protection against lipid peroxidation increases the risk of
Increased risk of
|
| Vitamin A | Increased risk of |
| Vitamin E |
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| B vitamins such as vitamin B2, B6, folic acid, B12 |
Increased risk of
|
| Calcium |
|
| Zinc |
|
| Selenium |
|
Passive smoking
People who frequently use tobacco endanger not only their own health, but also the health of those around them. “Passive smokers ” inhale tobacco smoke containing harmful substances from their environment and consequently their organism is also exposed to heavy metals and other harmful substances. If humans are constantly exposed to the smoke of others, as for example at the job or at home, if the partner smokes, these must count likewise on substantial Vitaminabbau and/or vital material losses as well as on health impairments. Furthermore, passive smokers often suffer from headaches and also live with an increased bronchial asthma – as well as a 50 to 60% higher risk of lung cancer. In addition, one study shows that the same vascular (“affecting the vascular system”) inflammatory responses can even be observed in passive smokers as in smokers, so passive smokers also face an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (heart disease).