1. Fresh Lime Juice
A recent Thai study published in the Journal Of The Medical Association of Thailand reported that fresh lime could be a viable alternative to nicotine gum – although not quite as effective as the gum, it did help study participants cut down on their habit and manage their cravings (4). Lime has the advantage of being cheap, accessible, and non-toxic – and it will probably make your breath smell better than nicotine gum!
2. Acupuncture
Acupuncture, while often viewed with suspicion by Western patients, has been shown to ameliorate smoking withdrawal symptoms, as well as the selective attention to smoking-related visual cues in smokers, according to one study (5).
3. Exercise
Taking to the treadmill may not only help you get your mind off smoking and help you gain back some of that lung capacity that smoking will have caused you, but it’s also associated with a short-term reduction in the desire to light up a cigarette (6).
4. Hypnosis
This one may sound a little unusual, but there’s more than just anecdotal evidence that hypnosis really can help long-term smokers kick the habit. In a meta-analysis of almost 60 studies, hypnosis was judged to be at least partially efficacious – and completely safe – in the treatment of smoking cessation (7).
5. Mindfulness Meditation
In college students who smoked, it was found that mindfulness-based interventions could reduce their urge to smoke by a measurable amount (8).
6. St. John’s Wort
Although most of the evidence about the efficacy of St. John’s Wort is still in the preclinical phase, the evidence that does exist makes a compelling case for St. John’s Wort being an effective smoking cessation tool (9).
Of course, St. John’s Wort can interact with many different types of medication, so always consult with your doctor before taking it, especially if you’re also currently taking anti-depression or anti-anxiety medications.
Bonus:
Olfactory Training
The Scientific American reports that “…pairing the smell of cigarettes with unpleasant odors made people smoke less during the following week.”
“… subjects spent the night hooked up to devices that measured breathing and brain activity while they received puffs of the smell of smoked cigarettes followed by puffs of the odor of rotten eggs or decaying fish through a face mask.” (10)
For comparison, researchers gave the other half of the group the face mask therapy during the day. This went on for a week. The group that received it at night cut their smoking 13-30% in the following week. The day group did not change their smoking habits.
You can speak to your doctor to find out if there are any clinic in your area offering olfactory training.
Magnesium
Smoking depletes your body’s magnesium stores. Studies have found that increasing your magnesium intake for a month significantly decreases in the number of cigarettes you’re likely to smoke (11).
Magnesium also promotes relaxation and fights depression, anxiety, headaches, irritability and other symptoms prevalent in people trying to quit smoking.
The Takeaway
If you’re struggling to quit smoking, you’re not alone – many people have been through the same difficulties, and successfully managed to leave the habit behind.
When you quit smoking, you’ll enjoy health benefits like a decreased risk of developing lung cancer, better lung capacity, and of course, you’ll smell better – so give any of these methods a try the next time you feel the urge to light up a cigarette.