supporting Red Blood Cell production in smoking cessation for metabolism and energy
WHY METABOLISM SLOWS AND YOU’RE TIRED WHEN YOU QUIT SMOKING
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Red blood cells are needed for a variety of functions to include delivering oxygen through the body, healthy metabolism, storing metabolic ATP and for our own energy.
There are several studies which show marked differences in the Complete Blood Cell Count panels of smokers, non-smokers and smokers in cessation. Smokers have elevated red blood cell count compared to non-smokers. ( 1 2 3 ) Interestingly, in addition to smoking, being in high altitudes also elevates red blood count. ( 4 ) This happens because when the body has to work harder to get enough oxygen, it compensates by producing more red blood cells to transport O2 through the body.
The production of healthy red blood cells relies on sufficient levels of vitamins and minerals, which smokers are often deficient in. With deficiencies, red blood cells will still be produced but they may not be as effective in storing ATP or delivering oxygen through the body.
Red Blood Cells (RBC) are elevated in smokers and falls in smoking cessation ( 5 )
Red blood cells have a life cycle of 120 days (about 4 months) and our body produces new ones constantly
If a red blood cell cannot repair itself for efficacy in transporting oxygen, it self-destructs and will be flushed out of the system with antioxidants ( 6 ) This may be what happens when we quit smoking and our RBC drops. This study shows that total red blood cell count drops in the first 2 weeks of quitting smoking, describing the drop as a “rapid decline” which starts as soon as 24 hours after your last cigarette. ( 7 )
Additionally, smokers have a higher red blood cell deformability than non-smokers, meaning the cell loses its flexibility and can’t change its size as well as a healthy cell to pass through certain arteries to transport oxygen. ( 8 9 ) Deformability may also inhibit the ability of red blood cells to release or store ATP energy.
Symptoms of low or falling red blood cell count include weakness and fatigue and resembling common nicotine withdrawal symptoms. The drop in red blood cells when we quit, may be a sign of unhealthy cells self-destructing and creating a form of acute anemia.
How to Boost Red Blood Cells in Smoking Cessation
Smokers are deficient in almost all of the vitamins and minerals needed to make healthy red blood cells (denoted below by *). There is unclear data regarding deficiencies or accumulation of iron and copper in smokers and in cessation. Supplementing and eating diets rich in these vitamin minerals may help the smoker’s body to replace all existing red blood cells with new and healthy red blood cells in 120 days.