Smoking cigarettes has been shown to increase the aging process. It has also been found to be similar to the a rare genetic disorder called Werner’s syndrome which speeds up the aging process making people as young as 20 show signs of aging. This is just one negative affect cigarettes can have on the body. Still, more than one-fifth of U.S. adults, or 46 million people, still smoke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cigarettes can contain more than 4,000 ingredients, which, when burned, can also produce over 200 ‘compound’ chemicals. Cigarettes also cut down on the lifespan by increasing your risk for several cancers such as lung and throat. Smoking also does great damage to the skin before its time by reducing blood flow to the skin. This damages skin, causes early wrinkles, and interferes with the skin’s natural defense against free radicals.
Athough it’s not easy, if you smoke, do whatever is necessary to quit. To help, grab some over-the-counter nicotine gum. In a review of 123 studies published in 2004, nicotine gum and other replacement treatments such as the patch upped the odds of quitting by two times compared to relying on willpower alone.
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