The primary active compound found in tobacco is a substance known as nicotine. Nicotine is an alkaloid, and it is responsible for giving tobacco its physically addicting qualities. The reason for this is because nicotine enhances the dopamine production, thus providing you with a sense of relaxation and euphoria.
Did you know that nicotine content in your brain is cut in half every 120 minutes? Because nicotine has a short shelf life in your brain, you can help support the secretion of nicotine from your brain by consuming specific supplements.
Proponents of green tea claim that this drink can help detoxify your body; however, when it comes to cleaning your body from nicotine there is no solid scientific data to support this claim. However, green tea may help indirectly remove nicotine from your body due to its ability to rid toxins from your system.
Green Tea Active Compounds:
Before going into the specifics of how green tea can help remove nicotine from your body, I want to discuss why green tea is good for you. According to modern research, the primary active compounds found within this herb are constituents known as catechins, or polyphenols.
While green tea contains a total of six primary catechins, scientists believe that EGCG, or apigallocatechin gallate, is the most potent. Research has found that green tea catechins provide greater antioxidant capabilities than those found in vitamin C. Thus, it is believed that the health and detoxification benefits of green tea are directly related to its catechin concentration.
Scientific Evidence:
As stated above, there is no scientific evidence directly stating green tea help cleanse your body of nicotine; however, scientific data dose show that green tea supports the overall eradication of harmful free radicals, which are known to damage your DNA and cause adverse health reactions.
Smoking tobacco is known to dramatically enhance the concentration of free radicals, thus by drinking green tea you will directly support your body’s ability to remove these compounds from your body. While research regarding green tea and nicotine are currently underway, it is safe to say that drinking green tea can have substantial health benefits for smokers and ex-smokers.
Dosage Recommendation:
Since the scientific community does not fully support the use of green tea for detoxification purposes there is no official dosage of this herb for this purpose. However, according to information provided by the University of Maryland Medical Center, scientists suggest drinking up to three cups of green tea per day. Doing so will deliver up to 320 mg of catechins into your body. You may also take green tea supplements. Take up to 750 mg of green tea capsules per day.
References Used:
http://www.galaxygoo.org/biochem/nicotine/what_is_nicotine.html
GalaxyGoo: What is Nicotine?
http://www.drlam.com/opinion/detoxification_tea.asp
DrLam: Detoxification Tea
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/green-tea-000255.htm
University of Maryland Medical Center: Green Tea
http://www.sfrbm.org/frs/Buettner.pdf
Society of Free Radical Biology and Medicine: What Are Free Radicals?