Home Remedies for Nicotine Cravings

Nicotine is an oily, toxic and, in small doses, stimulating chemical that is the primary active ingredient in tobacco products. According to mothernature.com, nicotine intake provides pleasure in individuals who are addicted, and soon their bodies convince them that they need more and more to feel satisfied. These are nicotine cravings, and are characterized by irritability, anxiety and in some cases insomnia. Luckily, there are several home remedies that can help ease these cravings.

Citrus Fruits

According to mothernature.com, drinking lots of orange juice will help ease your nicotine cravings. This is because the juice makes your urine more acidic, which in turn helps eliminate nicotine from your body faster. According to home-remedies-for-you.com, all citrus fruits have this effect, including lemons, limes, grapefruits, kumquats, pomelos, tangerines and mandarins.

Cayenne Pepper

Eating cayenne pepper (made from dried, red chilies) is another way to reduce cravings. According to homemademedicine.com, cayennea natural antioxidanthelps reduce the sensitivity of lung tissue to the effects of nicotine, which reduces both cravings and potential lung damage. For cigarette smokers, the peppery, spicy taste makes smoking unpleasant, which also helps reduce cravings.

Reward Yourself

Another home remedy for nicotine cravings relies on psychological as opposed to physical and biological treatment. According to mothernature.com, a federal study has shown that if you pay yourself a dollar (or reward yourself in another way) for every day you go without smoking, your chances of quitting increase. So next time you feel a craving, realize that if you give in, you will be missing out on a reward for that day.

Vitamins

According to homemademedicine.com, taking vitamins, particularly A, C, and E, can also help reduce nicotine cravings. While taking vitamin A will help repair damaged mucus membranes, taking a vitamin C supplement will help bring the amount of this essential vitamin in your body back to a healthy level (nicotine breaks it down). Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which will help repair cells that are damaged by nicotine intake.

Exercise

While exercising and playing sports certainly have beneficial effects on your physical health, in terms of reducing cravings these activities also work on a psychological level. According to mothernature.com, exercising and playing sports helps take your mind off of cravings, and also helps make nicotine intake seem taboo. For instance, if you are in the middle of a soccer game, you will likely be more focused on scoring or playing defense as opposed to smoking. Also, other players will likely be irritated if you need to stop play every 10 minutes for a smoke break, which acts as a deterrent.