Adding menthol flavor to e-cigarette liquids generates more toxic microparticles and damages the lungs, researchers say.
- In electronic cigarettes, the mixture of mint flavor and vaping liquid is particularly toxic and harmful to the lungs.
- According to the researchers, it also prevents e-cigarette smokers from breathing well.
- With this study, scientists hope to alert to the dangers of vaping.
Even without nicotine, vaping is not without danger and a new study proves it: researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have, in fact, revealed that the aroma of mint in particular, makes vaping more toxic and more harmful for people. lungs.
E-cigarette: menthol hinders the respiratory capacities of vapers
They came to this conclusion with the help of a robotic system specially designed to mimic the mechanics of human breathing and vaping behavior. According to the results of their research published in the journal Respiratory Research, commercially available e-cigarette liquids containing menthol generate more toxic microparticles than those without menthol.
Additionally, an analysis of the records of a cohort of e-cigarette smokers found that menthol addicts breathed less deeply and had poorer lung function than menthol-free smokers, regardless of age, type, or status. sex, race, number of pack-years of smoking, and use of vaping products containing nicotine or cannabis, write the authors.
“Many people, especially young people, mistakenly believe that vaping is safe, but even nicotine-free vaping mixes contain many compounds that can potentially damage the lungs.“said lead author Kambaz H. Benam, associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.”Just because a food is safe to eat doesn’t mean it’s safe to inhale.”.
Cannabis flavor in e-cigarettes can cause lung damage
In their previous research, the team has already discovered that thevitamin E acetate, a common additive in e-cigarette liquids containing cannabinoids, was particularly toxic. It generates, in fact, very small harmful particles which can travel deep inside the lungs and get stuck in the narrowest airways and in the walls of the trachea and bronchi.
This new study suggests that menthol additives, which are among the most popular flavorings, could be just as dangerous as vitamin E acetate, which has been strongly linked to lung damage in e-cigarette users.