(06-09-10) Smoking increases stress levels

by Jonathan Benson, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Many people say they smoke because it helps to take the edge off
and reduce their stress levels. But new research has found that smoking induces
an opposite effect, increasing stress levels over time rather than calming the
nerves.

A team of researchers from the London School of Medicine and Dentistry
recently evaluated a group of nearly 500 people who attempted to stop smoking
after being hospitalized for heart disease. At the beginning of the study, all
participants generally had similar stress levels and believed that smoking
helped to reduce stress.

But after a year, those who continued to smoke saw no improvement in perceived
stress levels, while those who abstained actually experienced a 20 percent drop
in stress levels. According to the study paper, those who remained faithful by
not smoking had "a significantly larger decrease in perceived stress".

Part of the reason why smokers may actually experience more stress than non-
smokers is because the lulls in between smokes can be stressful. Smokers get
sudden cravings for another cigarette and the desire to have one can be a
considerable cause of mental strain.

Non-smokers, on the other hand, a free from such cravings. Even those who quit
and initially struggle with cravings eventually break the habit and no longer
experience cravings, which reduces overall levels of stress.

So in addition to the other known health benefits gained by not smoking,
smokers now have another incentive to kick the habit and improve their overall
sense of well-being.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/h...

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