On which day after quitting smoking does the body start to detoxify from nicotine?
I've just quit smoking and heard that the body expels "nicotine toxins" after quitting. I'd like to know on which day after quitting does the detoxification start and whether there are any obvious symptoms, so I can prepare in advance and stick to quitting smoking.
Doctor's answer (1)
Once smoking cessation begins, the body starts to gradually break down and eliminate toxins, but there is no exact data indicating a specific day when toxin elimination begins.
The process of clearing nicotine and other harmful chemicals from the body is gradual, and there is no specific "detox day." However, from the moment smoking stops, the body begins its self-repair process and gradually reduces the effects of these harmful substances. Smokers typically start to notice improved lung function within the first few days of quitting, and the removal of harmful substances such as nicotine and tar from body tissues begins.
There are two main ways the body detoxifies: one is through the movement of cilia in the lungs, which helps mix toxins with mucus and expel them from the body in the form of phlegm; the other is through the circulatory system, which transports deposited nicotine to the liver for metabolism into cotinine, which is then excreted from the body through urine. Around the seventh day after quitting smoking, a peak in detoxification may occur, during which the amount and frequency of phlegm coughed up may increase.
It may take up to a year or more to completely eliminate residual toxic substances, depending on the individual's physical condition.
