Believe it or not, you don’t have to stop smoking to avoid lung cancer

Let’s say you were to ask a dozen random people on the street this same question: “What’s the best way to avoid lung cancer?”

I’m willing to bet that you’d get the same answer 12 times: “Don’t smoke.”

But the reality is that lung cancer isn’t so black and white.

No question, heavy smoking takes a toll on your lungs. But you might be surprised to learn that most of the people diagnosed with lung cancer today have either never smoked, or they once smoked, but quit a long time ago.

In fact—according to a former leading researcher with the National Cancer Institute (NCI)—the U.S. government became so fixated on pushing a massive anti-tobacco agenda decades ago that they essentially betrayed the American people.

As this former NCI researcher puts it, “Bureaucrats may be winning the antitobacco battle, but they are losing the so-called ‘war.’”

Furthermore, if you’re a light smoker who relaxes with a couple of cigarettes, a pipe, or a cigar at the end of the day, you may actually be doing more good than harm.

Where lung cancer research went off the rails

The NCI researcher I’m referring to is Dr. Marc Micozzi, who witnessed first-hand the inner workings of the government health bureaucracy before becoming a pioneer in complementary and alternative medicine.

In Dr. Micozzi’s new Breathe Better Lung Health Protocol, he calls the “fake, failed ‘war’ against lung cancer” one of our government’s biggest betrayals.

He explains that in 1984, shortly after he started his research on diet and cancer at NCI, the new deputy director of the NCI Division of Cancer Control and Prevention informed Dr. Micozzi and the rest of the division that, going forward, funding for lung cancer research would be directed to smoking cessation and prevention programs.

Not research on cancer biology, to better understand the disease.

Not screening, for early detection.

Not treatment, to extend life.

But strictly “behavioral modification.”

Dr. Micozzi points out two repercussions from this decision 36 years ago:

1. Lung cancer is still the No. 1 cause of cancer deaths in America. The American Lung Association estimates that about 154,000 people will die from lung cancer this year—three times the number of fatalities compared to the No. 2 killer, colon cancer.
2. “Sadly,” he says, “the government attitude toward smoking has also resulted in blatant bias and discrimination against lung cancer victims. Even doctors and nurses admit that they often view lung cancer patients differently than other cancer victims.”

“What a shame,” Dr. Micozzi adds, “that politically correct considerations overcome medical science, medical ethics, and even human compassion in dealing with this dreaded disease.

“But while the government may have abandoned the American people, I haven’t.”

Forget everything you’ve heard about smoking

When Dr. Micozzi worked at NCI, he notes that most science bureaucrats there considered lung cancer “incurable”—and strictly a “behavioral problem.”

But in Dr. Micozzi’s view, those bureaucrats were completely off base.

As he now knows—and wants you to know—there are actually many natural approaches you can take to lower your risk of lung cancer, even if you’re a heavy smoker.

And his first piece of advice: “Cut back on smoking.” But notice that he doesn’t say, “Quit smoking.” That’s the key difference.

“If you do smoke cigarettes,” he says, “cutting back will help. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to quit entirely, according to the real science.”

The research Dr. Micozzi conducted with a top team of NCI investigators used the largest long-term health database in the U.S. And what they found runs completely contrary to everything you’ve ever heard about smoking…

Their analysis showed that the effects of light to moderate smoking are completely different from the results of heavy smoking or chain smoking.

Moderation can be extremely beneficial

Another problem with what Dr. Micozzi calls, “the careless research” on smoking is that it lumps all smokers together, no matter what they smoke—cigarettes, pipes, or cigars—or, most importantly, how much they smoke.

The key, he points out, is moderation.

He says, “Moderation applies to smoking, just as it does with every other realm of human biology and health. Indeed, moderation is appropriate in this case as well.”

Dr. Micozzi explains that unless you have a specific genetic susceptibility to smoke, your lungs are not defenseless. That’s because the normal lung can handle moderate smoke exposure. Think of all the people who have been regularly exposed to smoke since the invention of fire about two million years ago.

In 1989, Dr. Micozzi’s research team published a study showing that people who smoke only half a pack of cigarettes a day (or less) have the same health profiles as nonsmokers.

“In fact,” he says, “the light smokers were more likely to maintain healthier weights than non-smokers! And cigar and pipe smokers actually had lower overall rates of disease and death than nonsmokers.”

This is why some life insurance companies offer discounted rates to cigar smokers.

What could be behind these surprisingly healthy benefits? Dr. Micozzi points to evidence that sitting back and relaxing with an occasional smoke (especially a cigar or pipe) provides ideal stress relief.

His greater concern for lung health? Air pollution.

If you live or work in a city, he recommends making a determined effort to get out into nature and breathe fresh air as often as possible—at least once a week. Your lungs will benefit from escaping poor quality air, and you’ll enjoy another level of stress relief.

That’s a solid win-win for your lungs!

Of course, this is just one way to protect the health of your lungs from the multiple stressors of our modern world. Click here to learn more details about Dr. Micozzi’s essential Breathe Better Lung Health Protocol, or to enroll today.