Smokers Three Times Less Likely To Light Up If They Consume Fruits And Vegetables,

(NaturalNews) "We may have identified a new tool that can help people quit smoking," says Jeffrey P. Haibach, MPH, research author and graduate research assistant in the University at Buffalo Department of Community Health and Health Behavior.

Turns out, those "tools" are sitting right in the kitchens of people everywhere. They are none other than fresh fruits and vegetables. According to research conducted by the university, 1,000 people 25 years of age and older were surveyed about their smoking habits as it related to their fruit and vegetable intake.

There was a clear correlation between people who ate more of these foods and the fact that they smoked less. In fact, smokers who consumed the most fruit and vegetables were three times more likely to not smoke tobacco compared to individuals consuming the lowest amounts of fruits and vegetables.

Not only did smokers who ate more of these foods have fewer cigarettes on a daily basis, but there was also more of a delay in the amount of time they waited before having the first cigarette of the day.

Why fruits and vegetables may quell the urge to smoke

The experts behind the study suggest that the fiber in such foods creates a feeling of fullness that may cancel out a smoker's desire to fill up on something.

Furthermore, its thought that fruits and vegetables do not enhance the flavor of tobacco, which makes smokers less inclined to light up when ingesting the likes of apples and carrots. Duke University psychologist Joseph McClernon discovered this notion, concluding that fruits, vegetables and dairy products make cigarettes taste bad while other foods like coffee and meat enhance their flavor.

Beyond staving off the urge to smoke, eating fruits and vegetables also helps heal a smoker's damaged body. Since smoking robs the body of vitamins C and B levels, which means it's getting sub-par lung, cancer and nervous system protection, it's important to build the body's immunity.

Specifically, foods like kiwis, oranges, bananas and leafy greens are essential to help restore health to a smoker's body.