Friday, September 23, 2011

4 health behaviors which contribute to a longer life

Don’t smoke tobacco.  According to the World Health Organization, “smoking is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death.”  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1160597/
Smoking tobacco gets the credit for causing lung cancer and emphysema (COPD).  Does it contribute to inflammation?   An article from the Public Library of Science says yes:  “Smoking triggers an immunologic response to vascular injury, which is associated with increased levels of inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein and white blood cell count.”  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1160597/   What does this mean?  The inflammation from smoking causes damage to our vascular system, including the heart. 

What about smokeless tobacco products?  WebMD says “smokeless tobacco is a major cause of oral cancer, pancreatic cancer and esophageal cancer.”  http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/features/snus-tobacco-health-risks   Smokeless tobacco carries risks also. 

What should a smoker do?  The human body has  amazing healing potential.  Many former smokers find their health improves when they quit.  QuitSmokingSupport.com gives details of how a person's health improves when he stops smoking at  http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/benefits.htm

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