Cinnamon-flavoured e-cigarettes may damage lungs, study finds
'Cinnamaldehyde, like toxic aldehydes in cigarette smoke, significantly disrupts normal cell physiology in ways that may have implications for the development and exacerbation of respiratory disease'
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Your support makes all the difference.Cinnamon-flavoured e-cigarettes may damage the lungs, a study has found.
The chemical that gives the spice its characteristic smell and taste has a similar effect on lung cells as toxins in cigarette smoke, researchers said.
Scientists in the US carried out tests in which they exposed human airway cells to cinnamon-flavoured liquid and spray from one of the latest e-cigarettes.
They found that the spice chemical cinnamaldehyde impaired the movement of tiny hair-like cilia that project from bronchial cells. In healthy lungs, the beating cilia perform the vital function of clearing away mucus and dirt, along with bacteria and viruses.
Lead scientist Dr Phillip Clapp, from the University of North Carolina, said: "Our data suggest that when used in e-cigarettes cinnamaldehyde, like toxic aldehydes in cigarette smoke, significantly disrupts normal cell physiology in ways that may have implications for the development and exacerbation of respiratory disease.
"Our finding that cinnamaldehyde impairs normal airway cilia motility is significant because it demonstrates that a common, food-safe flavouring agent, in the context of e-cigarette use, is capable of dysregulating a critical anti-bacterial defence system in the lungs."
Reactive aldehyde chemicals in cigarette smoke are known to cause lung inflammation and increase susceptibility to bacterial and viral infection.
E-cigarettes also contain aldehydes as flavouring agents, many of which are structurally similar to their toxic tobacco counterparts, said Dr Clapp.
He added: "E-cigarette emissions contain chemicals that have not been evaluated for inhalation toxicities. The inhalation of flavouring agents, which are frequently reactive aldehydes, poses a significant unknown in regards to the potential health risks of e-cigarette use."
In addition, the flavouring agents were often used in "exceedingly high concentrations" in e-cigarettes, he said.
The findings were presented at the American Thoracic Society's annual meeting in San Diego.
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