Researchers from the private Johns Hopkins University have identified the harmful effects of e-cigarette vapor on the lungs of mice. As a result of experiments on mice, it was found that inhalation of steam undermines the immune system and impairs the ability of the lungs to fight viral and bacterial infections. In addition, the vapor was found to contain free radicals. In the course of the experiments, half of the mice breathed fresh air, and the less fortunate ones inhaled the vapor of Njoy cigarettes for two weeks. Then some of the mice were exposed to the influenza virus, some to pneumococci, which cause pneumonia. Mice who inhaled the vapor of electronic cigarettes coped much worse with infections – they were sick more and recovered longer, and lost more weight. The mortality rate among mice that inhaled the vapor was twice as high as among those who did not breathe it.
It is not entirely clear what exactly leads to such results. One option is free radicals, which are abundant in couples. The researchers did not expect to find them in steam – they are usually present in cigarette smoke at elevated concentrations due to the combustion process. However, it turns out that even heating the aromatic liquid is sufficient for their appearance, although in steam there are two orders of magnitude less than in smoke.
The human body has a natural balance of antioxidants and free radicals. If it is violated, which can happen due to exposure to a large number of free radicals, the so-called. “Oxidative stress”. Stressing lipids, proteins, and DNA can lead to diseases ranging from cancer to Parkinson’s disease.
Another candidate for a pest could be propylene glycol , which is added to e-cigarettes to create steam. It is used in particular in smoke generators. The people who work with them often have similar lung problems.
Electronic cigarettes have gained a lot of popularity recently due to aggressive marketing. Manufacturers stress that this is a great way to quit smoking conventional cigarettes. It is also advertised that they have no harmful effects on health. However, this is a marketing ploy – since these devices are very recent, no one can know what impact on health they have in the long term.