Most people wrongly assume that nicotine replacement therapy is the only way to quit smoking. Sure, nicotine replacement products are at every pharmacy check out, but there are many way to quit smoking, including something as pleasant and easy and drinking herbal tea.
Quit Tea was developed to be part of a regimen to aid in the process of quitting smoking, alongside other techniques and aids. Quit Tea can be used in lieu of prescription medications, or if deemed safe by your medical professionals, in conjunction with prescription medications.
Tea, in and of itself can be a calming ritual for many, the world over; it is the second most consumed beverage after water. The ritual of tea is what makes it important, just like the ritual of smoking cigarettes except this is good for you. Quit Tea can help provide a substitute for the hand to mouth habit, while at the same time providing the following supportive properties:
- Valerian is a powerful relaxant. However, in low doses it will aid in reducing anxiety, stress & nervousness.
- St. John’s Wort has mild antidepressant properties, with far fewer side effects than prescription antidepressants.
- Licorice root can help thin mucus in the lungs and improve its quality. This can help the lungs recover from damage incurred by smoking. Licorice root also offers a sweet flavor, which some may find substitutes the need for additional sweetener.
- Burdock root is used in Asian countries as a root vegetable, but it also has some potent detoxification properties.
- Oregano not only is an antioxidant, it has antiseptic, stimulant and expectorant properties, which can help heal the lungs and ease some of the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
- Fennel not only helps clear the lungs, but also has been shown to act as an appetite suppressant. This property may aid in preventing weight gain, when used in conjunction with conscious eating habits.
Quit Tea’s ingredients may help ease the symptoms associated with nicotine withdrawal and help repair the damage incurred from smoking. All the while help preventing some of the negative effects people often associate with quitting tobacco use.
Many of the ingredients found in Quit Tea are recommended for use to ease in breaking dependency to nicotine by Dr. Phyllis A Balch, CNC, author of Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Prescription for Herbal Healing and Prescription for Dietary Wellness. In conjunction with other behavioral and nutritional therapies, while avoiding stress, junk foods (refined foods, white sugar, white flour, saturated fats, etc.) and excess salt.
It should also be noted that when it comes to quitting smoking, it isn’t necessarily how many cigarettes you smoked per day, that make it more difficult, but rather for how long you actually smoked. It takes three weeks to make a new behavior a habit and while breaking the psychological addiction to cigarettes has been proven clinically harder than breaking the physical addiction. Breaking the physical addiction is certainly a very good place to start.
Balch, P.A. (2006) Prescription for Nutritional Healing. (4 ed. Pp704-710). New York: Penguin Group (USA), Inc.
While the FDA hasn’t approved herbs for medicinal use, they were in fact our first medicines. As such, medicinal herbs should be treated with respect and any other medications you take or conditions you have should be considered prior to the addition of any supplement.
Matt Bucklin is the creator of Quit Tea. He talks and writes about smoking cessation.
