Smoking: The Surprising Primary Cause of Lung Cancer in Smokers

I recently found my grandfather’s box of keepsakes and among the items inside I found a magazine dating back to 1947. I was quite amused when I paged through the magazine and came across an ad promoting the “health benefits” of smoking.

Yes, that’s right… the “health benefits” of smoking… Backed by so-called throat specialists!

“Not one single case of throat irritation due to smoking”, was the headline of this ad.

Pure poison

The ad continues to explain that these “findings” were based on world-renowned throat specialists who conducted “a total of 2,470 weekly examinations of the throats of men and women who smoked Camels – and only Camels – for 30 days”.

Now, of course it’s clear that these “findings” were designed to promote the Camel brand of cigarettes… and that there is absolutely no truth behind what these so-called specialists were saying.

It doesn’t matter what brand of cigarettes you are smoking, these poison sticks could ultimately kill you. That’s it… and you’d be hard-pressed to find any doctor or specialist saying otherwise.

As someone who has struggled to quit smoking more than once in my life, I can tell you that it is one of the most terrible and harmful habits ever… but once you drop those poison sticks the benefits to your health are almost immediate.

To illustrate just how dangerous this habit is, animal research has shown that polonium is the only component of cigarette smoke that’s proven to cause cancer. One study determined that smoking one and a half packs of cigarettes per day has the same effect on the respiratory tract as 300 chest X-rays per year.

But where does this polonium come from?

Because of its popularity – and tobacco smoking is still hugely popular – tobacco farmers grow massive volumes of their crops. And that requires massive amounts of calcium phosphate fertilizers, which contain (believe it or not) the radioactive element polonium-210.

That’s right – radioactive fertilizer. What could possibly go wrong with THAT plan!?

The answer to that question is pretty obvious: cancer.

But here’s the real kicker: A 2011 report leaked a little secret that the tobacco industry wanted to keep under wraps with all its might.

A method called “acid wash” was developed to remove polonium from tobacco leaves – I assume this was to try and reduce the cancer risk associated with smoking.

But the acid had an unintended effect. It made nicotine harder to absorb. That means cigarette smokers wouldn’t get their kick from this highly addictive substance.

No addiction. No smoking. Not what the highly lucrative tobacco industry ever aimed at.

So, it should come as no surprise that acid wash went nowhere. And polonium stayed in. Now, if you’re a smoker, you might be thinking that switching to “natural” cigarettes will eliminate this problem.

Well, even though these products leave out chemical additives, which certainly makes them sound like a better option, don’t be fooled into thinking that the word “natural” means “safe”.

The truth is these cigarettes still might contain tobacco grown with a calcium phosphate fertilizer.

The answer is simple: Quit smoking.

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Disclaimer: Bear in mind the material contained in this article is provided for information purposes only. We are not addressing anyone’s personal situation. Please consult with your own physician before acting on any recommendations contained herein.

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Sources:

Radioactive Fertilizer – The Surprising Primary Cause of Lung Cancer in Smokers (mercola.com)