Smoking Cessation and Weight Gain

A question for all of the on-again, off-again smokers out there: Have you noticed that you gain weight every time you quit smoking?

If the answer is yes, as it is for many — 80% of people who quit smoking put on an average of 15 pounds — you may be surprised to learn that it has little to do with your calorie intake.

Researchers in Switzerland have found that weight gains after quitting smoking are due to changes in the composition of intestinal flora, and not due to increased calorie intake. You can restore the balance of your intestinal flora with a high quality probiotic.

Probiotics are beneficial living microorganisms that support healthy gastrointestinal and immune systems. Hundreds of diverse microbial species, some essential for health, others pathogenic, inhabit or pass through the gastrointestinal tract. In a healthy digestive system, these microorganisms coexist in a balanced harmony.

The normal intestinal balance of microorganisms can be disrupted by stress, disease, poor nutrition, toxins, and medications, such as antibiotics, immunosuppressants, and gastric acid inhibitors, resulting in intestinal and systemic health disturbances. Probiotic nutritional supplementation can support the body in restoring and maintaining a healthy, balanced gastrointestinal microflora.