| A new study confirms that early life | | | | According to the American Lung |
| exposure to second-hand smoke can | | | | Association: |
| produce life-long respiratory problems. | | | | - Children who breathe second-hand smoke |
| A study of 35,000 adult non-smokers in | | | | are more likely to suffer from |
| Singapore revealed that those who lived | | | | pneumonia, bronchitis and other lung |
| with smokers during childhood had far | | | | diseases |
| more respiratory illnesses. | | | | - Children who have asthma and who |
| Fiber May Protect | | | | breathe second-hand smoke have more |
| However, study participants who reported | | | | asthma attacks |
| eating more fruit and vegetable fiber as | | | | - There are an estimated 150,000 to |
| adults seemed have acquired some | | | | 300,000 cases every year of infections, |
| protection against the negative health | | | | such as bronchitis and pneumonia, in |
| effects. Those who ate more than 7.5 | | | | infants and children under 18 months of |
| grams of fiber each day -- roughly the | | | | age who breathe second-hand smoke |
| equivalent of two apples -- had fewer | | | | One of the best routes to quitting |
| health problems. | | | | smoking is through complete abstinence. |
| The Benefits | | | | This means cold turkey and not gradual |
| Researchers theorized that fiber may: | | | | reduction. But that can be tough for |
| - Reduce blood glucose concentrations | | | | anyone. That's why I recommend using |
| - Reduce inflammation | | | | energy psychology tools. There are many |
| - Enhance antioxidant processes | | | | effective strategies out there for |
| But they cautioned that the possible | | | | working with addictions but I find the |
| benefits of fiber should be taken as | | | | Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to be |
| lessening the importance of reducing | | | | highly effective. |
| exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. | | | | It's good to know that fiber can also |
| EurekAlert August 30, 2005Thorax August | | | | help you if you have no choice but to |
| 30, 2005 | | | | inhale secondhand smoke from your family |
| Dr. Mercola's Comment: | | | | or colleagues, just as it has many other |
| Most people know that I view eating the | | | | benefits. One caveat, however: |
| right foods are far more important to | | | | One of the main sources of fiber in the |
| your health than smoking. In fact eating | | | | diet of Singapore patients was soy, a |
| onefrench fry is more dangerous than | | | | problematic and potentially dangerous |
| smoking one cigarette. | | | | "food" if there ever was one. Although |
| I have seen many people ruin their | | | | processed soy products are consumed by |
| health by stopping smoking and ignoring | | | | more than 200 million Americans, |
| their food choices thinking they were | | | | thousands of studies have linked them to |
| doing a good thing for their health. | | | | a host of problems, including |
| Don't get me wrong, I don't believe | | | | malnutrition, cognitive decline and |
| anyone should smoke but one needs to | | | | infertility. |
| have a wholistic perspective on health | | | | Fermented, unprocessed soy products like |
| if you are going to achieve it. | | | | natto, miso, and tempeh, however, are |
| But getting back to smoking, if the true | | | | far healthier for you, as the |
| cost of a pack of cigarettes -- | | | | fermentation process aids in liberating |
| estimated to be nearly $40 when all the | | | | otherwise difficult to digest nutrients |
| extra health are taken into account -- | | | | in the soybean, making them more |
| won't make you stop smoking, perhaps its | | | | available for absorption. |
| harmful effects on your children will. | | | | |