Lime, of course, is an easily accessible and non-toxic alternative to nicotine gum, and physiologically has a number of 'side benefits,' including alkalinizing the tissues, which are normally more acidic in tobacco users to begin with. It is also an anti-infective agent, having been demonstrated to have significant antimicrobial activity against multiple strains of drug resistant E. coli,[ii] and inhibiting the survival of Vibrio cholera, the pathogen that contributes to cholera, in foods;[iii] another nice 'side benefit' considering smokers often have compromised immunity.