Traditional and unconventional methods can help in the fight against smoking addiction, including exotic medicinal approaches. Some smokers successfully combat their habit with the help of old-fashioned remedies passed down through generations. However, the effectiveness of folk remedies for smoking can depend on various factors such as how long you’ve been smoking and the extent of your nicotine dependence. It’s also essential to consider individual body characteristics. And of course, the most important thing is to believe in what you’re doing.
Many disillusioned smokers view folk remedies for quitting smoking as a last resort to overcome their harmful habit. So, what are some of these methods worth discussing? Several such methods are described below, and it’s up to you to choose the one that suits you best.
Folk Remedies for Smoking
Herbal Teas and Infusions for Smoking
Steep one tablespoon of eucalyptus leaves in two teacups of boiling water and let it infuse for an hour. Strain the infusion, then add one tablespoon of honey and an equal amount of glycerin. Drink this concoction in quarter-glass servings, 3-4 times a day for four weeks.
Mix 5 teaspoons of burdock juice with 5 teaspoons of water and consume before bedtime for two weeks.
Mix 1 teaspoon of regular tea leaves with half a teaspoon of chicory root, nettle leaves, mint leaves, and valerian leaves. Blend everything and store it in a tightly closed glass container. Brew the mixture when you feel a strong urge to smoke. Steep one teaspoon of the mixture in 400 ml of boiling water for 8-12 minutes.
Pour 1 tablespoon of oat flakes into 400 ml of lukewarm water and leave it overnight. Then dilute it with hot boiling water, let it cool, and strain. Drink this infusion for 30 days, a few minutes before meals, in half-glass servings.
Mix oats, rye, millet, and barley (100g each), pour 1000 ml of cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 12-15 minutes. Pour the mixture into a thermos and leave it for 24 hours, then strain and drink for four weeks, half a cup two to three times a day.
For this mixture, you’ll need Icelandic moss, field horsetail, yarrow, nettle, and fennel in a ratio of 2:2:2:3:1. Mix the herbs thoroughly and store them in an airtight ceramic container. To prepare the decoction, take 2 tablespoons of the mixed herbs, pour 500 ml of boiling water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 8-12 minutes over low heat. Let the decoction infuse for one and a half hours, then strain. It should be consumed after meals, one-third of a glass at a time.
Folk remedies for smoking are beneficial because they do not have a negative impact on the body like, for example, chewing gum, which smokers often use as a substitute for cigarettes, or medications that can adversely affect vital organs when used to quit smoking. Instead of gum, you can use natural products:
• Resin from fruit-bearing trees, such as apricot, apple, or cherry. It not only helps to curb the urge to smoke but also contributes to the cleansing and strengthening of your teeth, and it’s considered an excellent disinfectant.
• Dried fruit snacks, such as pineapple, apricot, apple, pear, and prune slices, are both delicious and beneficial for curbing nicotine cravings. However, prunes also act as a laxative, so don’t overdo it.
• Before smoking, chew and spit out a twig of bird cherry. After fifteen days, you’ll develop a strong aversion to cigarettes.
Herbalists recommend shaking out the contents of a cigarette and replacing it with various dried herbs such as savory, lady’s mantle, and tansy. Gradually, you can transition to herbal blends.
A herbal blend containing mint, plantain, sage, horsetail, eucalyptus, savory, and thyme might also be suitable.
Instead of tobacco, you can also use dried and shredded coconut husk.
Indian smokers, who entered the war against nicotine, invented “medicinal cigarettes” containing spices such as cloves, cinnamon, calamus, turmeric, licorice, and basil, wrapped in eucalyptus leaves.
It’s important to note that folk remedies for smoking should not be considered a panacea, as many factors play a role in smoking cessation, including the smoker’s experience and the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Treating nicotine addiction should be comprehensive, with folk methods playing a supportive and health-promoting role within that framework.
