Tobacco can permanently alter human skeleton, leave imprints for centuries after death
WeirdNews
The finding was made by the researchers from the University of Leicester
(Web Desk) - Experts have long warned against smoking, stating that it is a major health hazard. Now a team of archaeologists has revealed that tobacco can stay in the bones of smokers for centuries after their death.
The finding was made by the researchers from the University of Leicester. They examined human remains buried in Britain between the 12th and 19th centuries and noticed that tobacco had a profound impact on their bones. They also found that it was linked to bone-related conditions, such as an increased risk of fractures.
The study, published in Science Advances, noted that the introduction of tobacco in Western Europe 500 years ago caused significant changes in human skeletal structure.
Scientists have long relied on dental evidence to identify whether a person was a smoker or a non-smoker. However, when teeth were missing the method became ineffective.
In the new study, the researchers examined 323 cortical bones, the dense outer layer that gives bones their strength, of those known to be tobacco users and others whose smoking histories were not known.
They analysed the molecular composition of the bones and found 45 distinct molecular features that were different in the bones of smokers and non-smokers.
A co-author of the study, Dr Sarah Inskip, said, "Our research shows significant differences in the molecular features of bones from past tobacco users and non-users. This finding indicates that tobacco use impacts the structure of our skeletons."
“Tobacco consumption leaves a metabolic record in human bone distinctive enough to identify its use in individuals of unknown tobacco consumption," the authors state in the study.
They stress that "archaeological human skeletal remains" can offer "direct evidence" to study past "pathological and health conditions, including diseases associated with tobacco use."
The researchers say they are now trying to understand how these differences emerge. This can help experts learn how tobacco use is a "risk factor for certain musculoskeletal and dental disorders."
Smoking is known to increase the risk of certain cancers, along with stroke and heart disease. When it comes to bone-related conditions, it can cause low bone density, an increased risk of fractures, and periodontitis.
