How To Remove Nicotine From Your Body

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Get Nicotine Out of Your System: Easy Ways to Prep for a Drug Test PDF download Download Article Clear nicotine from your body as fast as possible after you've smoked your last cigarette Co-authored by Jennifer Mueller, JD Medically reviewed by Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS

Last Updated: April 30, 2025 Fact Checked

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  • Flushing Out Nicotine with Food and Drink
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  • Sweating Out Nicotine
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This article was medically reviewed by Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD. Sarah Gehrke is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Licensed Massage Therapist based in Texas. Sarah has over 10 years of experience teaching and practicing phlebotomy and intravenous (IV) therapy using physical, psychological, and emotional support. She received her Massage Therapist License from the Amarillo Massage Therapy Institute in 2008. Sarah also has a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner certificate from Walden University and a Master’s in Nursing from the University of Phoenix. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 443,799 times.

Contrary to popular belief, nicotine doesn't actually stay in your system for very long. Since it only has a half-life of about 2 hours, you can expect your body to be completely clear of nicotine within a few days after you smoke your last cigarette.[1] This gets tricky, though, because the longer you smoke and the more you smoke, the more nicotine gets built up in your system. But not to worry—we've got tips to help you clear it out of your body fast. Read on to learn the best ways to flush nicotine out of your system quickly through food, drink, and physical activity. If you need help to quit smoking, read How to Quit Smoking or visit the CDC website.

Things You Should Know

  • Drink plenty of water to help flush nicotine and its byproducts out of your system more quickly.
  • Eat leafy greens and fruits such as blackberries and cranberries to help your body metabolize nicotine more quickly.
  • Engage in cardiovascular activity to flush nicotine out through your sweat.
  • Quit smoking completely to remove all nicotine from your system for good.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 2:

Flushing Out Nicotine with Food and Drink

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  1. Step 1 Drink lots of water to help flush toxins from your body. 1 Drink lots of water to help flush toxins from your body. Nicotine is expelled through urine. Drinking water causes you to urinate more, which removes nicotine from your body more quickly. So drink up to increase your chances of passing a urine test administered by your employer.[2]
    • As a rule of thumb, aim for at least 15.5 cups (3.7 L) of fluids per day if you're an adult man, 11.5 cups (2.7 L) if you're an adult woman.[3]
    • As of 2023, 29 US states and the District of Columbia have laws that protect smokers and prohibit employers from testing for nicotine.[4]
  2. Step 2 Supplement water with other healthy beverages. 2 Supplement water with other healthy beverages. Hot tea can help accelerate your body's metabolism of nicotine to get rid of it faster. Fruit juices also help hydrate you and have nutrients that can increase the rate at which your body metabolizes nicotine.[5]
    • When trying to clear nicotine out of your body, avoid alcohol, soda, and coffee, which are diuretics that actually dehydrate you.
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  3. Step 3 Eat foods that are rich in antioxidants. 3 Eat foods that are rich in antioxidants. Whole foods that are rich in antioxidants help flush toxins from your body more quickly through urine and sweat. In addition to exercising and drinking plenty of water, add the following foods to your diet:[6]
    • Leafy vegetables, such as kale or spinach
    • Nuts, including peanuts, walnuts, and pecans
    • Fruits such as blackberries, cranberries, and strawberries
  4. Step 4 Eat foods that stimulate the liver to produce bile. 4 Eat foods that stimulate the liver to produce bile. Nicotine is metabolized primarily through the liver, so stimulating the production of liver enzymes will help your body metabolize nicotine more quickly. To get rid of nicotine more quickly, eat foods that prompt bile production, including:[7]
    • Garlic
    • Onions
    • Egg yolks
    • Vegetables such as radishes, leeks, asparagus, celery, and carrots
  5. Step 5 Take a vitamin C supplement to accelerate your metabolism. 5 Take a vitamin C supplement to accelerate your metabolism. When your metabolism is accelerated, your body will process and eliminate nicotine even faster. Foods that are naturally high in vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, papaya, and kiwi.[8]
    • Vitamin C supplements also achieve the same effect and are easily available from your local grocery store.
    6. Advertisement
Method 2 Method 2 of 2:

Sweating Out Nicotine

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  1. Step 1 Get your blood pumping with some cardio exercise. 1 Get your blood pumping with some cardio exercise. Cardio can be tough if you've been a regular smoker, but jogging and other cardio workouts raise your heart rate and cause you to sweat. Since nicotine leaves your body through sweat, this can help you get rid of the nicotine in your system faster. Make sure you jog long enough to work up a sweat—usually at least 15-20 minutes. If jogging isn't your thing, walking works just as well! Just as long as you get that blood pumping.[9]
    • If it's cold outside, head to a gym and run on a treadmill.
  2. Step 2 Visit a sauna... 2 Visit a sauna to remove nicotine through sweat. Studies show nicotine passes from your body through sweat.[10] In the hot, steamy environment of a sauna, you're sure to work up a sweat, which will help you remove more nicotine from your body than you otherwise would have.
    • If you don't have a sauna at your disposal, go for other hot environments that will make you sweat. For example, you might lay out in the sun for a couple of hours (just make sure to wear sunscreen).
  3. Step 3 Stop smoking... 3 Stop smoking to permanently remove nicotine from your body. To remove all of the nicotine from your body and keep it gone for good, quit using any tobacco products. This includes not just smoking but also nicotine replacement products, such as patches, gum, inhalers, or lozenges. Quitting smoking isn't an easy thing to do, but you've got this! Just stay focused on your goal and keep busy to help reduce the temptation to smoke.[11]
    • Quitting smoking improves your lung functioning and reduces your risk of throat, mouth, esophagus, and bladder cancer by 50%.
    4. Advertisement

Detox From Nicotine With This Expert Series

Removing nicotine and smoking from your life is hard. Let's make it a little easier with these expert articles. 1 - Fix Nicotine Stained Fingers 1 Fix Nicotine Stained Fingers 2 - How to Get Nicotine Out of Your System: Easy Ways to Prep for a Drug Test 2 How to Get Nicotine Out of Your System: Easy Ways to Prep for a Drug Test 3 - Apply a Nicotine Patch 3 Apply a Nicotine Patch 4 - Quit Smoking 4 Quit Smoking 5 - Clean Nicotine Stains 5 Clean Nicotine Stains 6 - How to Pass a Nicotine Test (Whether You Vape or Smoke) 6 How to Pass a Nicotine Test (Whether You Vape or Smoke)

Expert Q&A

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  • Question Do vapes contain a lot of nicotine? Lauren Urban, LCSW Lauren Urban, LCSW Licensed Psychotherapist Lauren Urban is a licensed psychotherapist and the owner of Psychobabble Therapy based in Brooklyn, New York. With over 16 years of therapy experience, Lauren has worked with children, families, couples, and individuals, providing an anti-oppressive, identity-affirming space. Lauren is also a certified hypnotherapist at Moon & Key Hypnosis and the co-founder of Get Right Wellness Collective. She received her Masters in Social Work from Hunter College in 2006, and specializes in working with the LGBTQIA community and with clients in recovery or considering recovery for drug and alcohol use. Lauren Urban, LCSW Lauren Urban, LCSW Licensed Psychotherapist Expert Answer Yes, when you vape, you're actually taking in a lot more nicotine than you are from cigarettes. The higher nicotine content can cause things like a racing heart, insomnia, and racing thoughts. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1
  • Question Why is my insurance company requiring a nicotine test for IVF? Debra Minjarez, MS, MD Debra Minjarez, MS, MD Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist & Infertility Specialist Dr. Debra Minjarez is a board certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist, Fertility Specialist, and the Co-Medical Director at Spring Fertility, a Fertility Clinic based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has previously spent 15 years as the Medical Director of Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine (CCRM) and has also worked as the Director of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Kaiser Oakland. Throughout her professional life, she has earned awards such as the ACOG Ortho-McNeil Award, the Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences NIH Research Service Award, and the Society for Gynecologic Investigation President’s Presenter Award. Dr. Minjarez received her BS, MS, and MD from Stanford University, completed her residency at the University of Colorado, and completed her fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern. Debra Minjarez, MS, MD Debra Minjarez, MS, MD Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist & Infertility Specialist Expert Answer Most insurances don't have set guidelines, but there are some that actually require a urine sample for tobacco, because tobacco can decrease the probability of success. So we are starting to see some plans that will not cover the cost of IVF treatment if they find that there's tobacco in the urine. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
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Tips

  • You absorb about 1 to 1.5 mg of nicotine from smoking one cigarette.[12] Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
  • If you're trying to pass a nicotine urine test, stop smoking at least 7 days before the test. For best results, avoid tobacco products for about 21 days before the test. Thanks Helpful 9 Not Helpful 0
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References

  1. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2953858/
  2. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/24-hour-urine-test
  3. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256
  4. ↑ https://www.lung.org/policy-advocacy/tobacco/slati/appendix-f
  5. ↑ https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content?contenttypeid=167&contentid=nicotine_cotinine
  6. ↑ https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/antioxidants
  7. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2953858/
  8. ↑ https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
  9. ↑ https://www.lompocvmc.com/blogs/2021/september/how-long-does-it-take-the-lungs-to-heal-after-qu/?locale=en
More References (3)
  1. ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9521575/
  2. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/quit-smoking/index.html
  3. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2953858/

About This Article

Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS Medically reviewed by: Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS Registered Nurse This article was medically reviewed by Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD. Sarah Gehrke is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Licensed Massage Therapist based in Texas. Sarah has over 10 years of experience teaching and practicing phlebotomy and intravenous (IV) therapy using physical, psychological, and emotional support. She received her Massage Therapist License from the Amarillo Massage Therapy Institute in 2008. Sarah also has a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner certificate from Walden University and a Master’s in Nursing from the University of Phoenix. This article has been viewed 443,799 times. 64 votes - 89% Co-authors: 10 Updated: April 30, 2025 Views: 443,799 Categories: Smoking Article SummaryX

To remove nicotine from your system, try to drink plenty of fluids and eat foods that help your body metabolize it. Drink at least 15 cups of water a day if you’re a man and 11 cups if you’re a woman, which will help you urinate the nicotine out of your system quickly. You can also drink other fluids, like green tea or fruit juice, to boost your hydration. Eat foods high in antioxidants, such as spinach, strawberries, and nuts, since they help metabolize the nicotine so it can leave your body through sweat or urine. Another way to speed up your metabolism is to eat foods that encourage your liver to produce bile, like carrots, leaks, and egg yolks. Along with these dietary steps, try going for a jog or run, since physical activity will cause you to sweat and expel more nicotine. For tips from our Medical co-author on how to get rid of nicotine with vitamin supplements, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS Medically reviewed by: Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS Registered Nurse Co-authors: 10 Updated: April 30, 2025 Views: 443,799 89% of readers found this article helpful. 64 votes - 89% Click a star to add your vote Tom S.

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