By Joe Palumbo III
No, that's not a typo – I did say lettuce. We all know people who smoke Newports or Marlboros – but Bravo is a cigarette that is made from enzyme-treated, healthy lettuce leaves. It looks and tastes like a cigarette, but is tobacco-free and nicotine-free and is thus a far healthier option than regular cigarettes. Sounds like you get a free bottle of snake oil with every purchase? Here's what science has to say.Tests comparing lettuce and tobacco cigarettes conducted by researchers at Lankenau Hospital in Pennsylvania concluded that smoking a tobacco cigarette yielded an additional 48 beats per minute to your pulse rate. Lettuce cigarettes only increased the pulse level by 4 beats per minute. To lend credibility to the various studies that tout lettuce over tobacco, Illinois ophthalmologist Dr. Richard Sarnat wrote a book titled “Physician Heal Thyself.” Dr. Puzant C. Torgian, a scientist from Columbia University, has also dedicated 40 years to this research and says the best thing about lettuce fiber is that it's non-addictive.As for cost, it's comparable to regular smokes. Lettuce alternatives are $87 for 14 packs, which averages to a little over $6 per pack. Name brand cigarettes cost between $4.75 and $6.50 a pack.So how's business with regard to Bravo lettuce cigarettes? Some medical research concludes these cigarettes are safer and some doctors call them a medical breakthrough. Are they healthier, safer and less addictive? In the end it's always better to abstain and not smoke. However, if you are not ready to take that route yet and quit, this could be another option you may want to explore.Joseph J. Palumbo III is the managing director for the Palco Group Inc. The Palco Group deals in asset management, private finance funding, and business consulting. Palumbo can be reached at palcogroup@aol.com or 718-461-8317, 516-297-4034.
