Breathe deeply: herbal support for smoking cessation: Ceara Foley explores a holistic approach to letting go of America's favorite addiction

New Life Journal, Feb-March, 2004 by Ceara Foley

Much addiction stems from a nutritional depletion causing a metabolic imbalance. Cravings are the body's way of attempting to substitute the lacking nutrient. Very often, supplementing amino acids to the diet can increase the mount and efficacy of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, thereby decreasing cravings. B vitamins, essential fatty acids (EFAs), and phytoestrogeas in beans and flax can also help rebalance the body's nutritional foundation. Flax and magnesium can help with keeping the colon end of things moving.

Herbs have a wonderful way of affecting all layers of the body: physical mental, and emotional. Therefore, they can be of tremendous use when one embarks on the road to fresh breath. They may be smoked, drunk in teas, used as capsules of tinctures, or even chewed Another part of quitting is to analyze relapse triggers and figure out how to avoid them, so you may want to choose not to smoke your herbs if you feel this practice will perpetuate your habit. While I have found these herbs to be safe in my own usage, some of them should be approached with care. Please do not use them if you are pregnant, nursing, or on medications. As with all herbal support, please consult a certified herbalist or holistic heath practitioner and your doctor before taking any herbs.

Some specific herbs that may be of use are calamus, lobelia, licorice, passioaflower, St. John's wort, mullein, kava, skullcap, gotu-kola, chamomile, lemon balm, and catnip. Most of these herbs have been used traditionally to relax the nervous system, promoting a calm sense of well being and reducing pain. Mullein has been used specifically to help clear out smoker's cough and was commonly smoked by Native Americans with lung congestion. St. John's wort has been proven to boost two brain chemicals, norepinephrine and dopamine. These are also increased by nicotine, therefore St. John's wort can give much of the desired feeling of smoking without the addictive component.

Lobelia boasts a similar claim. It also binds to nicotine receptors in the brain, satisfying the craving for nicotine. Lobelia can have an emetic effect in large doses, causing vomiting, and therefore should be used with caution. If one smokes after ingesting lobelia, they will experience nausea as well, which can be useful for the quitter. Kava, passionflower, oatstraw, chamomile, lemon balm, skullcap, and catnip are all mildly sedating herbs that can replace smoking in times of stress, reduce the agitation of quitting, and also provide nourishment for the nervous system. Of all of these, skullcap is believed to be the best for calming the nerves while withdrawing from an addictive substance.

Calamus is a root that comes from India. Its Sanskrit name, vacha, literally means "speaking." Calamus is another nervine that has a specific affinity for the throat, enabling us to speak our truth, an ability that stored grief can inhibit. Calamus is also a bitter herb, which will provide digestive support while quitting. Like lobelia, it is an emetic in large doses that when combined with nicotine will cause nausea and can be used as a deterrent in this way. This root can be chewed as an oral placebo when cravings arise, as can licorice root and kava root. Licorice root can actually repair damaged cilia in the respiratory and digestive tract. Smoking literally burns out these beneficial "hairs." Speaking of "burn out," licorice has also been used to support the adrenals when extreme fatigue or exhaustion is present. This is common among those that smoke due to a large amount of stress in their lives. Licorice should not be used by those with high blood pressure or a tendency towards water retention.