I know, it doesn’t seem fair… but a new study conducted at the Yale University School of Medicine found that male and female brains respond differently to nicotine. When men smoke, their brains create up to 17% more nicotine receptors, while the female brain does not.
This indicates that the addiction to smoking for females is more psychological, such as the smell and act of holding a cigarette, which can be harder to break than the physical addiction to nicotine. Smoking, for females, more of a social activity.
According to Kelly Cosgrove, a researcher on this study, it “suggests women smokers may benefit more from other types of treatment that don’t involve nicotine, including behavioral therapies, such as exercise or relaxation techniques, and non-nicotine containing medications.”
Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in N.Y., agreed more attention should be paid to non-nicotine related smoking therapies. “You can replace all the nicotine you want, and people might still want to smoke,” Horovitz said. Dr. Horovitz believes that breathing exercises are helpful because they mimic the puffing of a cigarette, and have a calming effect. Controlled, deep breathing lowers blood pressure and increases oxygen levels in the blood.
The reason for the difference between men and women is unknown but it may have something to do with the female hormone progesterone. The study found that higher levels of progesterone were associated with lower numbers of nicotine receptors in the brain. While this cause theory is interesting, the results are most important.
While Quit Tea has been shown to help both men and women quit smoking, these results reveal a new understanding of how nicotine effects each gender, and are especially encouraging for women. While it is true that the physical addiction to nicotine is easier to break than the psychological addiction to smoking, being aware of that fact will increase your chances of quitting success, male or female.
Men will have to be aware that their physical addiction is going to be stronger and so should be more likely to consider a nicotine replacement product. Women on the other hand, should be aware that their addiction is more of a habit and can make a conscious effort to replace that habit with something else and avoid the routines that include smoking.
