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Warning! E-Cigarettes Might Be Harming Your Blood Vessels!

Up until very recently, e-cigarettes and vape pens were considered to be risk-free by many people, making them the perfect way to cut down on cigarettes or to even ditch them entirely! However, a recent study now warns that the flavorings added to e-cigarettes may pose some hidden risks to our health. Keep reading to find out what they discovered:
 

 

Vaping and E-Cigarettes

A study posted in the journal 'Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology', was the end result of a number of experiments carried out by a team from Boston University. In this study, the scientists claim that certain flavorings added to e-cigarettes can cause an impairment in the production of nitric oxide in endothelial cells, as well as having a harmful effect on certain cells that are in line with coronary blood vessels.

In particular, the team pointed out 9 flavorings which are the worst offenders:

menthol (mint)
vanillin (vanilla)
diacetyl (butter)
eucalyptol (spicy cooling)
acetylpyridine (burnt flavor)
dimethylpyrazine (strawberry)
eugenol (cloves)
isoamyl acetate (banana)
cinnamaldehyde (cinnamon)

Vaping and E-Cigarettes

According to the study's lead author, Jessica L. Fetterman, Ph.D., "increased inflammation and a loss of nitric oxide are some of the first changes to occur leading up to cardiovascular disease and events like heart attacks and stroke, so they are considered early predictors of heart disease. Our findings suggest that these flavoring additives may have serious health consequences."

 

To carry out their earliest experiments, the team began by extracting some endothelial cells from two groups of tobacco smokers - regular cigarette smokers and menthol cigarette smokers. They then compared the results to those taken from non-smokers, some of whose cells had been exposed to common e-cigarette flavorings. They discovered the cells of both smoking groups were less able to produce nitric acid, which is essential for blood vessels to dilate.

Vaping and E-Cigarettes
The researchers also found that a similar effect also took place in the cells of the non-smokers who had been exposed to menthol and eugenol. Dr. Fetterman said that they "still don’t know what concentrations of the flavorings make it inside the body with tobacco product use. We know for menthol that the lower concentrations we tested are similar to the levels obtained smoking a pack of mentholated cigarettes in one day. But how much of the other flavoring additives make it into the blood following vaping is not known.”
Vaping and E-Cigarettes
In the scientific and medical communities, there are mixed opinions about using e-cigarettes instead of traditional ones. Some people argue that even if vaping is bad for your health, it is still far better than actually smoking regular cigarettes. On the other hand, some researchers claim that since no long-term studies have been carried out on e-cigarettes, it would be safest to steer entirely clear of them.
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