Foods that help with Cravings

[sunset]

All, first I apologize if there already is a thread about this subject. But, I did a search and couldn't find anything.

I never thought I'd really be looking in this direction, but yesterday for the 1st time I had intense cravings for a cigarette. For me after 3+ months I'm sure it's not about needing more nicotine (I already do 36mg) and recently added snus, that's a real life safer from going back to smoking.

So I was surprised by the intense cravings that only went away after a dinner, yet I don't know what I did.

Now researching this morning, I'm finding certain foods do help with cravings.

One that's really interesting is the research on Oats. Here's some information I found: "Try Oats -
Yes eating oats, as in oatmeal and oat bran, may help you stifle nicotine cravings and kick the cigarette habit. Boiled oats have long been used in India's Ayurvedic system of medicine to treat opium addiction. Then someone noticed that the recovered addicts often lost interest in cigarettes as well. That led researcher C.L. Anand at Ruchill Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland, to do a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment published in the scientific journal, Nature.

He took committed cigarette smokers and gave one group an extract of fresh oats and others a placebo. A month later the oat eaters had diminished cravings for cigarettes and were smoking only one-third as they had before the test or as the non-oat eating controls. In fact, five of the thirteen oat eaters stopped smoking entirely; seven cut back by 50 percent. Only one continued to smoke as before. Further, the craving was suppressed for as long as two months after the smokers stopped eating the oats! A later study in mice identified a compound in the oats thought to be the active anti-smoking ingredient. "

And a link to a study they did: Oat extract may cut cigarette cravings: Pilot study

Interesting, I might look more into this one.

Here's another thing I found about nicotine:"When not consumed in cigarettes and most of us consume it everyday as its part of the natural food chain.

Fact – We consume it everyday

It’s present in many common foods such as potatoes, tomatoes chillies and tea"

Now I'm half suspecting it was potatoes...OK, I had three kinds of potatoes yesterday, so maybe that's a clue.

And I read several articles where people think salsa helps with cravings.

Truthfully, for me, I really hadn't thought about food helping with cravings.
Now I'd like to look closer at that.

Anyway, I was just hoping others might jump in with their experience and thoughts.

 

[KathyD26]

Wow, that's really interesting and encouraging. Apparently wildgreen oats has MOA-B which boosts dopamine. I tried some of the links on the Neuravena site one of which was GNC, but they do not carry the product. I will keep searching. Thanks for the info.

 

[chc]

Great info!! any and all help with the cravings is a good thing

 

[KathyD26]

Well the only thing I found that was close was a product by Action Labs called Avena Wildoats Sativa 750mg. caps. It also comes in a liquid. I think I'll give it a whirl.

 

[Archer]

I've been told banana's help.

 

[DVap]

Thanks sunset! Nice dovetail with the Nicotine Delivery thread and all the discussions about the various factors that might figure into tobacco cravings.

Anything and everything that could help an individual is worth investigation, especially foods that are good for us anyway.

But won't the FDA have to regulate oats as a drug?

 

[sunset]

Kathy and All, You're right. I hadn't gotten that far to find the product yet (still eating my potatoes).

When I got to Frutarom Neuravena - Consumer products website, it seems to only be an ingredient in other products...hmm.

I found the same thing you did over at Vitaminshoppe, which is where I get vitamins.

Action Labs has Avena Sativa(Wild Oats) in caps and liquid. I guess it's close or is the same thing...think I'll give the liquid a try, also.

Woa, now I'm reading Avena Sativa has aphrodisiac properties. Not a bad thing, but now I'm wondering if it's the same product I was searching for in the beginning.

I need to understand my oats more...between green wild and wild oats before I end up with another problem.
------
Just briefly looking around, Avena Sativa is said not to help with cravings and has been disproven. So maybe there is a difference after all in the oat type and extraction process.

Sorry guys, I thought this would be easier to find But, still looking around.

 

[Richie G]

I read an article years ago that stated sunflower seeds have some of the same effects on the body as the act of smoking.

I dunno how true that is, but sunflower seeds keep the hands busy. lol

 

[KathyD26]

There is a product review on the Vitacost.com site concerning the liquid extract of the Action Labs Wild Oats .(I don't know how to link this) The reviewer used it for cutting back on her smoking with little effort. Also mentioned how relaxed she felt during the day.
Review was dated 9/2007

 

[TWISTED VICTOR]

....I have to laugh at the irony of a successful "oatmeal patch". Somebody at Big Pharma isn't gonna be happy .

 

[maureengill]

Makes me wonder...when I realized i was dealing with depression I found that there are foods that helped with that also. I wonder if this again correlates with the maoi consumption....I found that potatoes and pasta were two definite pick me ups for my depressed mood. Too bad they are both full of calories (cause I can't have a potato that isn't smothered with sour cream, or cheese and bacon).

Maureen

 

[sunset]

Kathy,

There is a product review on the Vitacost.com site concerning the liquid extract of the Action Labs Wild Oats .(I don't know how to link this) The reviewer used it for cutting back on her smoking with little effort. Also mentioned how relaxed she felt during the day.
Review was dated 9/2007

Thanks! Here's the link if anyone wants to read it:
Action Labs Avena Sativa Wild Oats - 2 fl oz - Vitacost

Now that does sound encouraging, so I just ordered some and it's a good price.

I must have spent 1.5 hours looking around yesterday and really didn't find out much more until I got confused over different oats
I'm thinking I'll send the company that did the actual testing an e-mail to try and find a product in the U.S. instead of out of the country, so far that really turned into a dead end.

If you try it, I hope you let us know the results and I'll write after I try it and finish all these potatoes first

 

[sunset]

TV,

....I have to laugh at the irony of a successful "oatmeal patch". Somebody at Big Pharma isn't gonna be happy .

You're going to be laughing if we find something that helps here It is funny isn't it when you think about it, now I think I'll try some oatmeal for breakfast,too... can't hurt. Oats of all things?

 

[sunset]

Maureen,

Makes me wonder...when I realized i was dealing with depression I found that there are foods that helped with that also. I wonder if this again correlates with the maoi consumption....I found that potatoes and pasta were two definite pick me ups for my depressed mood. Too bad they are both full of calories (cause I can't have a potato that isn't smothered with sour cream, or cheese and bacon)

So you've already had experience with pototoes. We just finished off the leftover sweet potatoes tonight, so I'll be able to rule them out or not soon.

 

[rejoice]

I think I will order some of the wild oats. Read some more reviews of this stuff on other websites. Sounds all good.

 

[KathyD26]

Thanks for posting the link for me SS. I went to my local VitaminShoppe today and they have the liquid and capsules. I bought the liquid and some Lobelia caps. (also might help the craving so I heard) so we'll see how it goes. I'll start with the liquid first for a few weeks before I add anything else.
Oh, and I found the wild oats in the "mens" section. The SA was not aware they carried it. Good thing I looked on my own.

 

[Madame Psychosis]

A few unrelated thoughts...

I find big meals make me really crave a cigarette afterwards. I've always eaten small meals and snacks but now I avoid big meals like the plague, and also avoid ordering entrees at restaurants (which is easy, because I spend all my fun money on e-cigs and can't afford to eat out ).

Smokers have sometimes been found to have lower levels of vitamins C, B6, B12 and folate, and folate deficiency in particular can lead to more homocysteine in the body (which is a cardiovascular risk factor or risk indicator, I can't find clear agreement on which it is). So getting more of these vitamins in your diet can help to bump up your health while quitting. (Study, study, study, study, conflicting CDC study...that's science for you.) The connection to the topic of foods that help quitting: I find eating more B vitamin rich foods or taking a B-complex seems to help with energy levels, which can lessen the "slumps" of quitting.

So try adding a bit of wheat germ to your oats!

 

[Madame Psychosis]

Thanks for posting the link for me SS. I went to my local VitaminShoppe today and they have the liquid and capsules. I bought the liquid and some Lobelia caps. (also might help the craving so I heard) so we'll see how it goes. I'll start with the liquid first for a few weeks before I add anything else.

Memorial Sloan Kettering has this to say about Lobelia:

Derived from the aerial parts of the plant. Patients use this supplement for smoking cessation and to treat asthma and depression. The piperidine alkaloids (e.g. lobeline) are thought responsible for the activity of this botanical. Animal and in vitro studies show that lobeline crosses the blood-brain barrier, has similar activity to nicotine, and stimulates the release of dopamine and norepinephrine. At low doses lobelia has stimulant effects, but higher doses result in CNS depression. Significant toxicity has occurred following use including vomiting, seizures, cardiovascular collapse, and coma. Lobelia may have additive toxicity when combined with nicotine. Clinical studies evaluating lobelia for smoking cessation do not support its use. Patients should be warned not to use this supplement.
...
Intravenous administration of approximately 12 mcg/kg lobeline to healthy human subjects resulted in cough, apnea, prolonged inspiration and expiratory pause, the feeling of choking, and pressure in the throat and chest.
...
Although 16 studies have been performed evaluating lobelia for smoking cessation, none met inclusion criteria set by Stead and Hughes. Trials evaluated only short-term efficacy (up to 14 days) of lobelia use with no long-term follow-up performed. Reduction in number of cigarettes, not abstinence, was the primary outcome for a majority of the studies reviewed. No evidence supports the hypothesis that lobelia is effective for smoking cessation.

 

[sunset]

Madame,

Thanks for the information about lobelia. I guess it was 5 months ago I was researching lobelia and it didn't hit me as anything I wanted to try or at least mix with what I'm already doing with vaping.

And that's pretty interesting that they did 16 studies with it, I didn't know that - Thanks again for the information.

 

[KathyD26]

Yes, I looked it up after I posted this! Good thing I only paid $7.00 for it as I won't feel bad throwing it out. If its that toxic, why is it sold in the first place? Also, one of the SmokeAway products has it listed as one of the ingredients (homeopathic formula, which I know is not the same strength as a regular supplement).