Led by Fred Vandermarliere, owner of Oliva Cigar Co., members of his family lead a traditional Belgian cheer before as the final night’s dinner and party gets underway.

The Health Benefits of Smoking Cigars

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The Health Benefits of Smoking Cigars

Cigars have a long history, beginning thousands of years ago in the “New World”. They were discovered by Christopher Columbus in Brazil and later in Central America. It was believed the Maya were the first people to smoke cigars.

Smoking cigars has been linked to gum disease, tooth loss, and respiratory illnesses. Secondhand smoke can also trigger asthma attacks.

Cigars are also believed to cause mouth cancer and esophageal and throat cancer. The National Cancer Institute estimates that tobacco smoking increases a smoker’s risk of mouth and throat cancer by 27 times. Aside from lung diseases, cigar use raises the risk of coronary heart disease by 30 percent.

Tobacco and nicotine are two common ingredients in cigars. There are many other chemicals found in tobacco products that are harmful to human health.

The best quality cigars are handcrafted. The wrapper leaf must have good burning properties. Also, it must be elastic and silky.

Among adult smokers, more males than females are smokers. Males also use cigars more frequently. This is a troubling trend.

One study in the New England Journal of Medicine examined nearly 18,000 men. Men who smoked cigars had a greater risk of oral and larynx cancer. However, these risks depend on the frequency of use.

According to the Center for Tobacco Studies at Rutgers, a single full size cigar has as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. In addition, tobacco smokers are also more likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than nonsmokers.