Ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation throughout the lining of the colon which can lead to diarrhea, abdominal pain, and extreme tiredness. UC and crohn’s disease both cause inflammation but in different parts of the gut.Some studies have shown that nicotine may help reduce some symptoms of UC. Not only may nicotine help reduce symptoms, but nicotine could also prevent UC from developing in the first place. A 10-year study showed that people who smoke and have UC were less likely to need surgery or develop serious complications.
UC is also referred as a relapsing-remitting condition where the symptoms can come and go over time. Studies showed that nicotine could also keep UC in the remitting stage. Keep in mind, smoking can cause even more serious health conditions such as lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The health risks from smoking greatly outweigh the benefits for UC.
Read more on nicotine and ulcerative colitis.
