Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs known. When you combine this chemical with the flavor of tobacco smoke and the oral satisfaction of a cigarette, you get an addiction that is very difficult to break.

Conventional treatment for smoking addiction focuses primarily on methods to separate nicotine addiction from the other habit-forming features of cigarettes. These include the nicotine patch and the nicotine inhaler. In addition, the drugs varencicline and bupropion (Zyban) have shown benefit.

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Proposed Natural Treatments

There are no proven natural aids for treating cigarette addiction.

The herb lobelia]]> has been widely promoted for stopping smoking. The origin of this idea appears to be a misconception that has been passed along for some years: that a constituent of lobelia—lobeline—closely resembles the drug nicotine. In fact, lobeline and nicotine are not biochemically similar, and they are not believed to have generally similar actions in the nervous system. ]]>1]]> Nonetheless, intriguing research suggests that lobeline might have some unusual effects on the nervous system that could make it helpful for treating addiction, especially to amphetamines. ]]>1-4]]> But keep in mind that it’s a long way from theoretical findings of this type to practical usage.

The herb wild oats ( ]]>Avena sativa]]> ) has also been suggested as a treatment for cigarette addiction, but on balance the evidence indicates that it is not effective. ]]>5-9]]>

Weak evidence supports a role for ]]>melatonin]]> in reducing nicotine withdrawal symptoms. ]]>14]]>

The substance cysticine is a toxic compound found in the seeds of Laburnum anagyroides and related plants. Weak evidence, mostly from Eastern Europe, hints that careful use of this substance might aid smoking cessation. ]]>16]]>

Numerous other herbs are promoted for stopping smoking, including ]]>alfalfa]]> , ]]>eucalyptus]]> , ]]>gotu kola]]> , ]]>hops]]> , ]]>licorice]]> , ]]>passionflower]]> , and ]]>skullcap]]> , but they have not been evaluated scientifically.

]]>Acupuncture]]> , especially in the form of ear acupuncture (auriculopuncture) is widely used as a treatment for cigarette addiction. However, a 1999 meta-analysis of 12 ]]>placebo-controlled trials]]> did not find acupuncture more effective than sham-acupuncture for smoking cessation. ]]>10]]> A subsequent, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 330 adolescent smokers, conducted in 2000, also found no benefit. ]]>11]]> On a more positive note, one study found that while acupuncture may not be effective for treating cigarette addiction on its own, it might (in some unknown manner) increase the effectiveness of smoking cessation education. ]]>12]]> In this placebo-controlled study of 141 adults, acupuncture plus education was twice as effective as sham acupuncture plus education, and four times as effective as acupuncture alone. Nonetheless, these benefits were only seen in the short-term; at long-term follow-up, acupuncture's advantage disappeared.

While ]]>hypnotherapy]]> benefits some smokers, it does not appear to be superior to other methods for quitting. In a review of 9 studies, researchers found no consistent evidence that hypnotherapy was better than 14 other interventions for nicotine addiction. ]]>17]]> And, a more recent randomized trial found that, when combined with a nicotine patch, hypnotherapy was no better than cognitive-behavioral therapy. ]]>18]]>

Smoking is believed to cause increased need for a variety of nutrients, including ]]>beta-carotene]]> , ]]>folate]]> , ]]> vitamin B 12]]> , ]]>vitamin C]]> , and ]]>vitamin E]]> . ]]>13]]> For this reason, people who smoke might benefit by taking a supplement that provides these nutrients at a little more than standard nutritional doses. (For more information, see the ]]>Nutrition for Cigarette Smokers]]> article.) However, there is no reason to think that use of these supplements will help you quit smoking.

Consumption of almonds has also shown potential for slightly reducing some of the harmful effects of cigarette smoking. ]]>15]]>