A new medical study revealed that using a chemical compound from a type of plant is more effective than other cessation techniques in helping cigarette smokers quit the unhealthy habit, according to HealthDay.
Extracted from the seeds of the eastern Asia native plant called golden rain tree, researchers from the Center for Addiction Research in New Zealand's Auckland University used the cytisine chemical as a smoking cessation medicine in a recent test.
The findings of the test were detailed in a report published by the New England Journal of Medicine, a site that features various health-related studies.
For the test, the center's associate director Natalie Walker and her team asked 1,300 smokers to participate in a 25-day treatment. Half of the test subjects took cytisine tablets while the remaining participants relied on replacement therapy methods such as nicotine patches and gum.
When the test concluded, 40 percent of participants who took cytisine said they didn't smoke during and after the treatment. On the other hand, in the group that used patches and gum, only 31 percent were able to successfully quit the habit.
According to Walker, cytisine is more effective than other cessation methods because it replicates the sensation people feel when smoking a cigarette.
"To the brain, cytisine looks a little like nicotine, and so it works to alleviate any urges to smoke and reduces the severity of nicotine withdrawal syndrome," she told HealthDay.
Walker stated in the study that the use of cytisine can be more effective if accompanied by behavioral support.
"When combined with brief behavioral support, cytisine was found to be superior to nicotine-replacement therapy in helping smokers quit smoking," she wrote in the report.
Aside from its positive effects, Walker also mentioned that it is cheaper compared to the common methods available in the market today. However, the researcher noted that some of the participants reported experiencing temporary side effects after taking cytisine pills.
"Three out of every 10 people who used cytisine had a side effect, compared to two out of every 10 that used nicotine patches, gum and/or lozenges," Walker said. "Some people felt nauseous or sick and some had sleep disturbances, such as bad dreams."
Although using cytisine is an effective technique, it is not easy to procure.
"Currently, cytisine is only sold in a number of countries in Eastern Europe and Central Europe," Walker said. "It is important that cytisine become more widely accessible and available."
