Quit smoking: chances of success increase at ovulation

Larissa Melville completed her traineeship in the editorial team of . After studying biology at Ludwig Maximilians University and the Technical University of Munich, she first got to know digital media online at Focus and then decided to learn medical journalism from scratch.

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MunichAlmost every smoker has tried to quit, but many have failed. There is now a new tip for women: In the right cycle phase, many people seem to find it easier to give up nicotine.

Good resolutions alone are usually not enough to persevere in giving up smoking for longer: Many smokers will relapse again after a short period of time. But at least for women, the chances of permanently abstaining from nicotine seem to increase if they time the abstinence attempt correctly. At least that is what a study from Canada suggests, which is now published in Psychiatry Journal has been published.

The scientists examined the connection between the female cycle and nicotine cravings. The test subjects were examined according to their period and ovulation. Among other things, the researchers determined the concentration of sex hormones in the blood and analyzed the women's desire for nicotine using questionnaires and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) when they looked at images that showed smoking positively.

Menstrual cravings strongest

Depending on the phase of the cycle, the images evoked more or less typical brain activities and cravings for a cigarette in the women. The desire for the glow stalk was particularly pronounced during the follicular phase immediately after menstruation. On the other hand, the desire to smoke decreased significantly after ovulation. This is probably due to the different levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone in the course of the female cycle, the scientists believe.

Try without risk

However, with only 19 participants, the study was small. In addition, the researchers admit that previous studies on the subject had also shown other results. It is still worth a try, because the cycle-controlled smoking cessation does not involve any risks. Women who decide to give up their vice are best to start right after ovulation.

In 2013, according to the “Study on the Health of Adults in Germany (DEGS1), 27 percent of adult women in Germany smoked. Every cigarette is harmful to the body, as nicotine attacks the vascular and nervous system. In the long run, this can lead to serious illnesses: chronic bronchitis and COPD, arteriosclerosis or cancer. Even for long-time smokers, it is still worth trying to give up smoking.

Source: Mendrek, A., Dinh-Williams, L., Bourque, J., Potvin, S .. Sex Differences and menstrual cycle Phase-dependet Modulation of Carving for Cigarette: An FMRI Pilot Study. Psychiatry Journal doi: 10.1155 / 2014/723632

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