Dietary change after smoking cessation: a prospective study

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Cardiovascular Health
• Smoking Cessation Research

Background:

• Smoking cessation is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease.
• The role of dietary fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid, in this risk reduction is hypothesized but not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between smoking cessation and the intake of essential fatty acids, specifically linoleic acid.
• To determine if increased linoleic acid consumption explains the reduced risk of coronary heart disease observed after quitting smoking.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 375 male and female cigarette smokers.
• Dietary intake assessed via 10-day weighed records at baseline, 4-month, and 1-year follow-ups.
• Comparison of dietary intake and body weight between smokers who quit and those who continued smoking.

Main Results:

• Quitters showed significant short-term increases in body weight, energy intake, and various dietary fats, including linoleic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid.
• These dietary increases were not sustained at the 1-year follow-up.
• At 1 year, quitters had higher intakes of eicosapentaenoic acid and folate compared to continuing smokers.

Conclusions:

• The short-term increase in linoleic acid intake following smoking cessation is not sustained and does not explain the reduced coronary heart disease risk.
• Other dietary factors, such as sustained higher intakes of eicosapentaenoic acid and folate, may play a role in the cardiovascular benefits of smoking cessation.