Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? But it’s a fact: Within minutes of putting out that last cigarette, your body begins to undergo a series of changes that, over time, effectively undo much of the damage smoking has inflicted.

Research reveals that smoking is more dangerous and has more far-reaching effects than first believed. Because smoking diminishes blood flow through the capillary veins, it makes wounds slower to heal and the spinal discs that cushion the vertebrae stiffen. The chemicals in smoke not only ruin skin, discolor nails, and yellow teeth, they also compromise the stomach’s ability to protect itself from stomach acid. Nicotine is now believed to exacerbate PMS, and smokers contract more colds and experience more dramatic allergy symptoms than nonsmokers.

Of course, no one said quitting was easy. While some folds can drop the habit cold turkey, most of us need to couple of tries and the help of a support group and a period of nicotine replacement therapy (such as the patch and nicotine gums). It’s not always easy to deny the moment’s cravings for a potentially longer and healthier life somewhere in the distant future. As they say, you’ve got to take it one day at a time. But, as the old song says and as research now reveals: What a difference a day makes!