Vaping has long been shrouded in controversy.
Although it is often touted as a ‘safer’ alternative to smoking, recent research has shown that it can lead to permanent lung damage.
For example, a study published last week found that while vaping was “much safer” than smoking traditional cigarettes, it was still linked to eight different lung diseases.
But it’s not just nicotine fumes that are on the lips of the nations.
Recently, wellness companies have taken the gadgets and pumped them full of “health-promoting” or “energy-boosting” substances, from vitamin B12 to melatonin.
About one in five teens use non-nicotine vapes, according to a 2022 Stanford University study.
And the most popular have to be the ones that contain caffeine, like Eagle Energy, which costs $25-30 for two and claims to provide a “natural energy boost with no unintended byproducts.”
Many of the brands, such as Inhale Health, also claim that their products contain no calories or sugar, resulting in ‘no more sugar crash’.
Experts told DailyMail.com that vapes containing caffeine, vitamins and essential oils can still lead to permanent lung damage, even if they do not contain nicotine
Wellness vapes from brands like Breathe and VitaBar come in a range of bright colors and offer a variety of benefits and have become increasingly popular on TikTok and other social media.
Some are supported by social media stars such as Canadian model and influencer Adrianne Ho, who said her caffeine vape “allows me to drink coffee when I’m on the go.”
“It can give you energy without actually having to drink coffee, it’s a coffee alternative.”
However, experts have issued dire warnings to DailyMail.com. First, scientists wonder whether inhaled caffeine actually enters the bloodstream.
Meanwhile, puffing vapes carries serious risks, including permanent injuries such as bronchiolitis, also known as popcorn lung, and EVALI, painful lung damage that can lead to permanent scarring.
In addition, experts warned that the marketing of the devices – in rainbow colors and using terms such as ‘wellness’ – could potentially lure teenagers and children.
“No vape is safe,” Dr. Timothy Allen, chairman of pathology at Corewell Health East in Michigan, told DailyMail.com.
A TikTok user named tatibxx shared a video of her using an essential oil vapor from LUVV Inhealers
‘There are carriers or supplements in the vapor that can be a direct cause of damage.’
“Wellness vaping is just a gimmick. It is just a conspiracy to suggest that vaping has benefits, even though there are no studies showing such an effect exists.”
Caffeine, along with essential oils and vitamin B12 – which promotes the formation of oxygen-rich red blood cells – have become popular additives in vapes.
Dr. However, Allen noted that because of the way caffeine is processed in the body, inhaling it will likely negate any effects.
“There’s no evidence that caffeine or melatonin or anything like that actually gets into the bloodstream or into the body beyond the lungs themselves,” he said.
In the case of caffeine, “I don’t think there would be any stimulant effect,” he said.
In 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent warning letters to five wellness e-cigarette manufacturers for promoting “unproven” claims, including those claiming that use of the products can treat conditions like anemia, ADHD, depression, anxiety, treated dementia and cancer.
“These claims are unproven and the products may be ineffective, a waste of money, unsafe and may prevent or delay you from seeking appropriate diagnosis and treatment from a healthcare provider,” the agency wrote.
And the lack of efficacy does not make them immune to negative effects.
“The risk of lung injury remains,” Dr. Allen said.
A supplement influencer named Jessica Dela Cruz shared a TikTok in 2022 promoting Vitamin C and B12 vapes from Boost
Dr. Aaron Weiner, a licensed clinical psychologist and addiction specialist in Illinois, told DailyMail.com, “The only chemical that should be absorbed is oxygen. That’s what the lungs are designed for.’
“As soon as you start putting other things in, you don’t really know what’s going to happen.”
Dr. Weiner pointed to vitamin E, which can be found in dark leafy greens, whole grains, oils and fruits.
However, a form of this, known as vitamin E acetate, has been found in nicotine and non-nicotine vapors and has been linked to lung damage associated with e-cigarettes or vaping products (EVALI), which can be permanent.
“Vitamin E is fine for eating, but not for breathing,” said Dr. Weiner.
There is no test to determine if someone has EVALI, so the diagnosis is based on symptoms, including shortness of breath, fever, chills, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, fast heart rate and chest pain, according to the American Pulmonary Association (ALA).
EVALI has caused several distressing health problems. A 34-year-old Ohio woman who consumed about eight cartridges of vape liquid every week, the equivalent of 50 cigarettes a day, found herself on life support within 24 hours of going to the emergency room for breathing problems.
In another terrifying case, a 20-year-old woman from Britain named Abby Flynn developed a rare lung condition called ‘popcorn lung’ that doctors warned could leave her dependent on an oxygen machine before the age of 30.
Oklahoma topped the list for the highest number of vape users in a recent report
In terms of daily users, Oklahoma and Tennessee ranked first
Additionally, the FDA issued a warning in 2021 for a vapor known as Breathe B12, stating that the ingredients “may cause laryngospasm or bronchospasm, may be toxic to the tissues in the upper or lower respiratory tract, or may be absorbed and cause unwanted can cause systemic effects. effects or organ toxicity.’
Laryngospasm is a spasm of the vocal cords, while bronchospasm occurs when the muscles lining the airways in the lungs tighten.
Dr. Weiner also said that several caffeine vapes still contain ingredients such as vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol.
When the vapor turns on and heats these chemicals, they can turn into substances such as formaldehyde, which has been linked to several cancers and injuries such as popcorn lung.
“Propylene glycol breaks down into literally thousands of chemicals, including things like formaldehyde and vitamin E acetate,” said Dr. Weiner. “What that essentially changes is an oil coating your lungs, and that’s what’s causing that problem.”
“What you actually put into your lungs, the chemical constellation, and what goes into your lungs looks very different from what it says on the outside of the package.”
“Because these things are not FDA approved, they are not regulated in any way. You don’t really know what’s in it to begin with. You expose yourself to the unknown.’
On the vitamin vapor front, vitamin B12 supplements have been shown to improve red blood cell function, but research shows that inhaling them could do more harm than good.
From a 2019 study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that of all vapes tested, vitamin B12 varieties produced the highest amount of oxidative stress.
This happens when there is an imbalance between free radicals – unstable molecules that can damage cells – and antioxidants, leading to health problems such as inflammation and other chronic diseases.
The researchers also found that these e-cigarettes lead to inflammation in the outer lung cells and microphages, white blood cells that destroy dead cells.
There is also no research to suggest that the body can absorb vitamins by inhaling them, rather than ingesting them through food or oral supplements. “The idea of inhaling vitamins is unnecessary,” Dr. Allen said. ‘Just eat well.’
For example, a 2023 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that approximately 2.1 million children currently use e-cigarettes. And about half of them become addicted.
And a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) states that across all WHO regions, more 13- to 15-year-olds use vaping than adults, helped by aggressive marketing. This led the agency to call for a global ban on all flavored vapors.
Dr. Allen warned that the colorful packaging and health claims on wellness vapes could encourage more young people, among whom vaping is particularly popular, to pick them up and risk permanent lung injuries.
“It’s irresponsible,” he said. “It feels like bad faith marketing.”