does smoking help ulcerative colitis
1 Nicotine in tobacco smoke may suppress the immune system and decrease inflammation in ulcerative colitis. 2  Nicotine and other chemicals in cigarette smoke may increase the production of mucous in the part of the colon where ulcerative colitis usually starts and serves as a protective barrier.esearch on Smoking and Ulcerative Colitis. A review of published studies on ulcerative colitis, smoking, and nicotine that recently appeared in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics finds these key results: 1  Smoking protects you from developing ulcerative colitis.