Smoking & Nicotine / Question
Published: May 6, 2004
Dear TeenHealthFX,
Does smoking cause nutritional problems ?
Signed: Does Smoking Cause Nutritional Problems
Dear Does Smoking Cause Nutritional Problems,
While most people are aware of the long-term effects of smoking, like lung cancer and emphysema, many do not realize that there are other harmful repercussions from cigarette use. Smoking drains your body of many essential vitamins and minerals and also affects your body's ability to absorb these vital nutrients. One important nutrient is vitamin C, which is one of your body's main antioxidants - it's job is to prevent disease by repairing damage to DNA and other cell components. It is also important for building tissue throughout your body. In addition, cigarettes have been shown to decrease calcium absorption, which is a critical process in teenagers because most of your skeleton is built by the time you hit 25; later on in life, smoking can lead to bone loss and osteoporosis. Other vitamins that are affected by smoking include B6, which is important for protecting DNA from breaking down, which is important for the prevention of cancer, and E, which is another antioxidant that protects the body from damage. A few studies have also shown that some smokers do not eat as well-balanced meals than non-smokers do, which can lead to other nutritional deficiencies and problems.
FX has answered some other questions on this topic, so for more information you can check out Smoking Affects All of Body.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
Teens often abuse prescription drugs because of the myth that these drugs provide a medically safe high.
