Wellness vapes are marketed as a way to inhale vitamins, caffeine, melatonin, and other substances to improve your health and well-being. But the evidence on their safety and effectiveness is limited, and there are some potential risks.
What happens when you inhale vitamins?
Vaping heats the substance to several hundred degrees, which can destroy some vitamins. The remaining vitamin molecules must then be converted into an aerosol that you can breathe in. Once the aerosol is in your lungs, the vitamin molecules must be absorbed into your bloodstream before they can have an effect.
How safe is vaping vitamins?
We don’t know much about the safety of vaping vitamins. Some studies have shown that it can be dangerous. For example, in 2019, thousands of people in the US were hospitalized with a strange lung disease after using cannabis vapes. The main culprit in the vape juice was identified to be vitamin E acetate. Although it is commonly used in dietary supplements, inhaling it caused lung inflammation.
How safe is vaping caffeine?
Vaping caffeine may get you a faster hit to your brain (and your heart) than by drinking it, but we don’t actually know for sure. There have been no studies to show what dose of caffeine you’ll be taking into your body by vaping it. And given the many different sources of caffeine we already consume — tea, coffee, chocolate, cola drinks, energy drinks — there are concerns that sitting on a caffeine vape all day could add to the risk of a caffeine overdose.
What about the rest of the vape fluid?
Apart from the advertised ingredients, wellness vapes could even contain nicotine, because you can’t always believe the label. Regardless, vape liquid has been shown to contain a stack of chemicals — some deliberate, some unintended — that you might want to think twice about inhaling regularly.
These chemicals include:
- Solvents that help create the aerosols you inhale
- Flavorings, including “cooling agents” (used in mints and toothpaste), which give that “icy” feeling when you inhale
- Potentially toxic chemicals that can form as a result of flavouring chemicals and solvents mixing in the cartridge
- Prohibited chemicals such as ethylene glycol, which is used to make polyester fibres and antifreeze
- Other chemicals that have been found in some vaping products include petroleum distillates and an “acutely toxic” chemical typically found in insecticides, herbicides and disinfectants
What about the heat?
Vaping is regarded as a safer alternative to smoking because you are heating but not burning the ingredients. But it turns out that the heat of a vape — and the fact that you are breathing the vapour directly into your lungs — can still turn otherwise “safe” chemicals into more worrying ones.
Studies have found that vape solvents like propylene glycol or vegetable glycerine break down into a class of chemicals called “reactive carbonyl species” (such as formaldehyde), which are also found in cigarette smoke. Essential oils too, generate similar compounds, and also generate terpenes and things which cause harm to your body.
Experts say vaping essential oils presents different risks to when we inhale them from room-based diffusers and candles. The problematic breakdown products get into our lungs faster, and are quite reactive, so they are quite short-lived, but if you’re breathing them directly into your lungs they don’t have to hang around very long to do damage.
What does the research say about vaping and lung health?
There is growing research that vaping can cause lung problems and increases your risk of respiratory infections. Recently Dr Scott reported findings on how vape fluids damage immune cells important in fighting off lung infections.
What is the verdict on wellness vapes?
Experts agree that the evidence that vaping (with or without nicotine) can harm the lungs far outweighs the uncertain benefits of “wellness” vapes. They recommend consuming vitamins, caffeine and melatonin the old-fashioned way, rather than inhaling them.
Conclusion:
Wellness vapes are a risky way to consume vitamins, caffeine, and other substances. There is limited evidence on their safety and effectiveness, and they can contain harmful chemicals. If you are looking for a way to improve your health and well-being, it is best to stick to traditional methods, such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep.
Are wellness vapes safe ?
Wellness vapes are marketed as a way to inhale vitamins, caffeine, melatonin, and other substances to improve your health and well-being. However, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that these products are unproven, ineffective, and could be harmful.
Despite these warnings, wellness vapes do not require FDA approval because they do not contain nicotine. This is a loophole that allows manufacturers to sell these products without having to prove that they are safe or effective.
There are a number of potential risks associated with vaping wellness products. For example, some of the ingredients in these products, such as essential oils, can be dangerous to inhale. Additionally, the heating process used in vapes can create harmful chemicals.
If you are considering using a wellness vape, it is important to be aware of the potential risks. There is no evidence that these products are safe or effective, and they could pose a serious health hazard.
What can you do?
If you are looking for a way to improve your health and well-being, it is best to avoid wellness vapes. There are many other, safer ways to consume vitamins, caffeine, melatonin, and other substances. For example, you can take vitamins and supplements in pill or capsule form, drink caffeinated beverages, or eat foods that contain melatonin.
If you are already using a wellness vape, it is important to talk to your doctor about the risks and whether or not you should continue using it.
