If you can't quit smoking completely and are inevitably exposed to secondhand smoke, you can at least minimize the harm to your body through diet.
Hazard 1: Decreased selenium content for cancer prevention
Solution: Consume foods rich in selenium
Research shows that smoking can lead to a decrease in selenium content in the blood, and selenium is an essential trace element for cancer prevention. Therefore, male smokers should regularly supplement their diet with selenium-rich foods such as animal liver, seaweed, shrimp, and beans. Other good sources of selenium include mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, millet, tremella, garlic, daylily, sesame, grains, wheat, and corn.
Hazard 2: Excessive oxidants
Solution: Supplement with vitamins
Smoking depletes the antioxidants and vitamins stored in your body, causing an increase in oxidants. If not replenished in a timely manner, this can lead to oxidative stress. Therefore, smokers especially need to supplement with antioxidant vitamins such as carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Vitamin C, in particular, is a water-soluble vitamin also known as "ascorbic acid," which can effectively prevent oxidative stress and reduce the urge to smoke. In daily life, men should consume more vegetables and fruits and less meat to create an alkaline physiological environment in the body. Carrots and cucumbers, in particular, are rich in antioxidant vitamins. It is also important to ensure an adequate intake of vitamin B, calcium, and magnesium, as they can help alleviate stress, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms during the smoking cessation process.
