boosting adenosine triphosphate (atp) Metabolism when quitting smoking
SUPPORTING METABOLISM TO AVOID WEIGHT GAIN IN CESSATION
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Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is an energy molecule produced in the body with specific vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids which converts the foods we eat into energy and waste. ATP energy is essentially your metabolism.
So how may ATP metabolism be different in smokers, non-smokers and when we quit smoking and what can we do to support it?
If the body is deficient in any of the vitamins or minerals needed to create ATP the body cannot efficiently produce it.
Not only that, but red blood cells must store the ATP molecules once produced, and then release the energy when needed. So in order to have metabolic energy our body needs to be able to be effective producing ATP and storing ATP.
Deficiencies in smokers and elevated red blood cells which fall rapidly when we quit may impair ex-smoker's body in producing and storing ATP metabolism, not to mention the health of red blood cells that remain with us.
Guess what one cause of low ATP is? Tobacco use.
And look at the side effects of low ATP are:
Sluggish metabolism
Low energy
Poor metabolic health
Sound familiar? So.
How can we boost ATP metabolism in cessation?
Copper is an essential trace mineral necessary for the production of ATP metabolism. Copper is elevated in smokers and may fall in cessation impacting metabolism speed causing weight gain.
Understand abnormalities and deficiencies in smokers and what the body needs to Boost ATP metabolism
Smokers have elevated copper ( 1 2 3 ) compared to non-smokers.
It’s unclear if the elevated copper in smokers is acute, caused by the exposure to tobacco smoke or if copper levels accumulate in the body. This study on the copper levels of opiate users indicates that the rise is copper is acute, and falls quickly in detox. ( 4 ) Another study suggests that copper levels can rise in non-smokers from passive exposure to second-hand smoke again suggesting that copper level is related to inhalation of tobacco smoke. It also indicates that estrogen plays a role in copper levels, as levels are higher in pre-menopausal women, pregnancy and women taking birth control or hormone therapy. ( 5 )
Smokers are commonly deficient in b vitamins, vitamin c, vitamin e and magnesium needed for healthy ATP production and storage.
Smokers have elevated red blood cell count (RBCC) compared to non-smokers but in smoking cessation RBCC levels rapidly decline within the first 2 weeks of the last cigarette. Furthermore, the red blood cells of smokers may not be as healthy as the RBC’s of non-smokers.
Supplementing and eating a diet that provides the vitamins and minerals needed for ATP production, especially the ones that smokers are known to be deficient in may boost metabolism in cessation.
Essential supplements for making and storing ATP include:
Phosphates
*/ denotes common deficiency in smoking cessation
+/ copper is elevated in smokers but it’s unclear if it accumulates in the body or falls in cessations, because of copper’s inverse relationship to zinc, which smokers are deficient in it is possible that too much zinc in cessation may also lower copper levels in cessation.
In addition to providing our bodies with these nutrients to boost ATP metabolism, we can also eat and supply our bodies with vitamins and minerals to produce healthy Red Blood Cells.
