For those who want to give up smoking it can be a long, hard struggle. Many relapse several times before managing to quit for good. With a vast array of smoking cessation aids on the market, can herbal remedies have a place? Quitting nicotine creates withdrawal symptoms and herbs can offer a change in mood, enabling the quitter to refrain from lighting up.

How Can Herbal Remedies Help Stop Smoking?

Many smokers would like to quit if they only knew how! Many try several times even over a period of years before being successful. There are a whole host of alternative therapies available such as acupuncture and hypnosis. So how can herbal remedies work? Herbs can reduce the level of symptoms in withdrawal or act as a nicotine replacement.

There are a few effective herbal remedies available for helping smokers quit. They work by either replacing nicotine with an alternative substance or by removing nicotine from your system. Some of the herbal remedies may also contain small traces of nicotine, changing the effectiveness of the substance resulting in a less than true remedy.

Lobelia is a popular herbal remedy used in quitting smoking. It is an Indian tobacco with many uses. It can be used to provide relief for asthma sufferers as it acts as an expectorant. It can also relax muscle tension, calm nerves, reduce inflammations and pain. Some report that it works well for those quitting smoking as it makes you detest the taste of tobacco.

Similar to nicotine in its effects on the body, Lobelia though is not addictive. It can help reduce the cravings of nicotine but should not be overused. Side effects of overuse include vomiting, weakened heart rate, fatigue and respiratory problems.

Another popular herb in helping smokers to quit the cigarettes is Mimosa tea. A native of South America, the bark of the evergreen shrub is used to make a drink. Its effects include calming of the nerves and creating a positive mood to help with withdrawal from nicotine. Even for non-smokers a strong cup of Mimosa Tea can help mild depression.

Weiss, a famous herbalist discovered that oats have an effect. The active ingredients of various alkaloids and trigonelline create a sedative effect. They can create well-being and aid the nervous system without the addictive effects. For those trying to stop smoking, the following could be followed. Mix the following in a 50ml bottle:

1) 15ml green oats
2) 10ml white horehound
3) 10ml mullein
4) 5ml golden seal
5) 10ml peppermint

Take 6 drops on the tongue whenever the craving to have a cigarette is felt.

Will power

Will power is thought of as merely a state of mind and that in order to quit smoking, will power is what you need. Many smokers have a lack of will power and find it almost impossible to give up with virtually no intervention or help.

Whether you choose conventional or alternative methods to help give up, it can take a little more to give up for good. No method alone can be seen as a definitive cure. Herbal remedies can be effective but should be used carefully and in conjunction with lots of will power.