I saw a post by u/cathole953 about tobacco (https://greatawakening.win/p/141En6FXWh/serious-question-do-you-guys-thi/) and it reminded me about an interesting article I read recently.
https://veilofreality.com/2017/09/05/the-health-benefits-of-tobacco-and-cutting-through-the-anti-smoking-propaganda/ (I HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING THIS ENTIRE ARTICLE)
I got to his thread a little late so I figured I'd open a new one.
The overarching question being asked is, "Is tobacco as bad as we've been told, or have we fallen victim to yet another massive propaganda campaign?"
The article further goes on to suggest that perhaps we've been completely brainwashed and programmed into fearing the tobacco plant, which has been used for thousands of years as a medicinal herb.
It really makes you wonder.
In short, the anti-smoking propaganda is based on lies and very corrupted science. There is also a HUGE difference between natural additive-free organic tobacco and commercial cigarettes. Commercial cigarettes are filled with hundreds of added chemicals that shouldn’t be in there, to begin with.
I discussed this topic with my family after first reading about this, and a question came to my mind that I never thought about before...
When your doctor says "smoking causes XYZ", do they EVER bother to make a distinction between smoking a raw tobacco leaf, and smoking commercial cigarettes loaded with hundreds chemicals? No they do not.
When you fill out paperwork at the doctor's office, and it asks "Are you a smoker?", does it ask "Are you a smoker of chemical-laden commercial cigarettes?" or "Are you a smoker of natural tobacco leaf?" No, it does not.
Does it make a difference? Hell yes it does. Even if commercial cigarettes had ONE synthetic chemical in them, it would make a difference. They have hundreds, and nobody is calling this massive oversight into question.
This is about as nonsensical as saying "food is bad for you" without making a distinction between fresh veggies and McDonalds.
Now there is, of course, a valid argument to be had about the carcinogenic properties of consuming all combusted material (grilled meat, joints, cigs, etc).. assuming that's not based on bullshit "science", too.
But combustion aside... are we being manipulated about tobacco? If so, why?
This is a discussion worth having.
Organic tobacco has some good health promoting properties. It reduces estrogen and boosts DHT which is enormously helpful, especially for men. People who take aspirin, drink coffee and use tobacco have a much lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease than people who don't. Nicotine benefits to the brain are well documented.
My husband can personally vouch for the protective benefits of cigar smoking to the lungs. There was a time we considered buying land to grow and process organic tobacco. It’s nearly impossible to find a clean snus.
Anecdotal story: my mother's eye doctor claimed to have written a thesis on how smoking lowered the incident of Alzheimer's and other neurological disease. Claimed to have gotten good marks for it.
I wouldn't go as far as saying 'healthy' but I agree that organic tobacco would have to be far less harmful. Before I switched to vaping, there was only 1 brand I could find where the list was "Ingredients: Tobacco", but was only available in pouches.
It was actually quite a different experience than TM cigs from the store.