Foods That Fight Nicotine Cravings

Donʼt puff your life away.

- Shivani Naghnoor

Nicotine dependence is also referred to as tobacco dependence; it is when a person is addicted to nicotine products. It is difficult to overcome addiction to tobacco even though it might be harmful. Addiction to nicotine is the prime reason why people find it difficult to quit smoking.

What causes nicotine addiction?

Excessive inhalation of nicotine increases the level of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the reward circuit region of the brain and causes a high or euphoria, making the individual dependent on tobacco. Increased use of tobacco over a period of time affects the regions of the brain that regulates self-control, stress, and learning.

When cigarette smoke is inhaled and enters the lungs, it is absorbed by the blood within a short span of time and reaches the brain quickly. In just ten seconds after inhalation, the level of nicotine increases and it aids in a surge of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the reward pathway of the brain. Quitting now becomes a task, because the high level of dopamine causes a pleasurable high, and when a person stops using a cigarette, the feeling of euphoria is lost.

Withdrawal symptoms