Detox lungs while you continue smoking: False claim goes viral

Hyderabad: An advertisement for a herbal syrup that claims to detoxify lungs after smoking is going viral. The ad claims, "Each breath you inhale with a puff of cigarette leads to the accumulation of tar in the lungs. Now clean the tar deposited in your lungs naturally."

If you think using a product like tea or a tonic can cleanse years and years of smoking and toxins, you are wrong. If you think a tonic, if taken with meal can cleanse your lungs while you continue smoking, please save your money and don't fall for such baseless claims.

Such product not only misleads smokers but also promotes smoking. Let's debunk the claim with facts.

Fact Check

NewsMeter ran a keyword search and found an article on WebMD with clearly states that such products cannot remove toxins from the lungs. "There are countless products for sale on the internet that claim to remove toxins from the lungs, but there is no scientific research to support the use of any of them. The lungs are remarkably good at cleaning and repairing themselves in some situations -- and there are steps you can take to keep your lungs as healthy as possible."

According to WebMD, "Smoking causes two kinds of long-term damage to the lungs: emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Together, these are known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In emphysema, the tiny air sacs that exchange oxygen are destroyed. In chronic bronchitis, there is inflammation of the airways that lead to the air sacs. "Once the air sacs are destroyed, they can't be replaced," Edelman says. Though some of the swelling and inflammation from bronchitis can go away, the structural damage will remain."

Still, the earlier you quit smoking, the greater chance you have of repairing some damage.

Another article by the American Lung Association said, "When it comes to lung health the best general rule to follow is: don't trust quick fixes. While detox remedies seem like a great concept, unfortunately, many claims made by companies selling dangerous and unproven treatments are exaggerated and can even be harmful, particularly products that can be inhaled. You can follow some ways to naturally cleanse your lungs."

A study by Healthline on Ayurvedic detox talked about the health risks of detoxifying. "Although the Ayurvedic diet includes many healthy foods and eating practices, such as mindful eating and increased vegetable and legume intake, the detox itself poses many health risks. Any detox that encourages self-induced vomiting or laxative use puts you at risk of severe dehydration, nutrient deficiencies, and disordered eating tendencies. Moreover, the detox promotes the use of herbs and supplements that are not backed by scientific evidence and may increase your risk of liver damage," it said.

We contacted our expert Dr J Anish Anand, Consultant Internal Medicine, Apollo Hospitals who says,

'Simple Answer is No.

Lot of commercial products are there in markets advertising but nothing can clean the lungs while we are still smoking.

Its like putting our house on fire and at the same time putting water on it. Fire will anyhow burn the house what will water do once the house is burnt.

All these products scientifically unproven and only way out of saving lungs is by Simply stopping smoking and once stopped smoking there is a chance of lungs healing themself .'

Hence, the claim is false. Don't waste your time and energy on such products. There is no shortcut to good health. Quit smoking.