Nicotine sticks around longer than you’d think. A single cigarette gives you 6-8 hours of circulating nicotine, most of which leaves through your urine. The bulk of stored nicotine metabolizes in 48-72 hours, but cotinine (nicotine’s metabolic byproduct) can hang around in your bloodstream for 20-30 days.
You can’t flush it out instantly, but you can speed up the process. Here’s what actually helps.
1. Load Up on Vitamin C
Vitamin C is your best bet for clearing nicotine faster. It increases your metabolism and white blood cell production, both of which help your body process and eliminate nicotine more efficiently.
Take 500-1000mg supplements twice daily, or go heavy on citrus fruits, bell peppers, and strawberries. Your body can only absorb so much at once, so spacing out intake works better than megadosing.
2. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
Water-rich produce helps flush your system. Fruits and vegetables also have the bonus effect of making cigarettes taste worse (something about the way they interact with your taste buds), which helps if you’re trying to quit.
Celery, carrots, and cucumbers are particularly good because they’re mostly water. Apples and berries work too. Eat them throughout the day rather than loading up once.
