Did smoking kill your taste buds?
If you were formerly or are currently a chain-smoker, to what degree does smoking diminish your ability to taste and enjoy food?
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10 Comments:
I can't say that I was ever a chain smoker, but I did smoke for a over 10 years. I find that food tastes better since I have quit smoking cigarettes.
Alan
aholsber at 9:04PM on 11/09/08
Congrats on quitting, Alan. It's damned tough. Glad to hear that you're enjoying food more, too. I've read that the ability to taste returns for many people who quit smoking . . . but I wonder what it's like for others.
And this question does indeed apply to former and current smokers who may not consider themselves to be chain-smokers.
Susquehanna at 10:32PM on 11/09/08
I don't find that smoking diminishes my ability to enjoy food at all. Or anything else, for that matter.
man, I love smoking.
unarata at 1:44AM on 11/10/08
Susquehanna,
Thank you. Quitting cigarettes has helped me in many ways, I gave them up for scuba diving.
I have talked with many people who have quit smoking and all have had the same opinion, the first year after quitting has been the worst, as your body begins to expel all the crud that you have been putting into it.
Alan
aholsber at 8:59AM on 11/10/08
I have been a smoker for 30 (too long) years. I don't find that it impacts my tasting abilities at all. Recently, I quit smoking for two months (using Chantix), but had to discontinue taking it because of kidney issues. During that way-too-brief hiatus from smoking, I didn't notice any tasting enhancement. In fact, it worked in the opposite direction for me. I was sucking on pepermints all the time to calm the oral fixation thing. As a result, everything I ate had a mentholated quality. Still, small price to pay for kicking the habit.
Josdean at 10:11AM on 11/10/08
I quit more than twenty years ago, and didn't really notice any difference in how things tasted -- but then, I wasn't as much into food as I am now.
My father, who quit around the same time, said that EVERYthing he ate tasted so much better after quitting.
Dee at 12:12PM on 11/10/08
My husband quit smoking cold turkey 4 or 5 years ago and totally agrees that smoking deadened his taste buds. He said he's now able to enjoy intricate flavors and smells that he didn't realize was missing when he smoked 1-2 packs per day.
Cassaendra at 12:41PM on 11/10/08
Actually I have developed a high intolerance to salt. I will not or can not salt anything.
pjracz10 at 2:52PM on 11/10/08
Two years ago next month, my wife and I went cold turkey together...responding to different but serious health conditions. I have had the exact same situation as pjracz...if I add even tiny amounts of salt, I notice it and worse, my blood pressure elevates 10-20 points.
Scottzel at 4:44PM on 11/10/08
YES! It definitely killed my taste buds! I quit smoking almost 13 yrs ago ... it was the best thing I ever did ... not just for my health but for my sense of taste!
caramel at 7:18PM on 11/10/08