Mailbag! The Ugly Truth About E-Cigs

By Natalie Moore Posted May 18, 2017

Dear Living Well Daily Reader,

You’ve got questions…

We’ve got answers!

It’s no secret that smoking is bad for you. We’ve known for decades that cigarettes can damage your heart and send your cancer risk through the roof.

And these days it seems easier than ever to ditch the cancer sticks — all you have to do is pick up a handy electronic cigarette and forget about the health risks.

But as it turns out — this couldn’t be further from the truth.

You see, researchers from some top universities just discovered that e-cigs could put you on the fast track to cancer.

Let’s dive in…

Hi Natalie,

My husband just quit smoking. He’s now vaping with an e-cig to help with cravings. I’ve heard these are much safer than their tobacco counterparts but have my suspicions, since the cartridges contain loads of chemicals. Do you know if e-cigs can cause cancer?

Thanks!

Darlene V.

Great question, Darlene. Many folks question the safety of e-cigs.

And with good reason…

Vaping, the term to describe using an e-cig, has been marketed as a safer alternative to smoking since jump street. But the only problem is — there are almost no regulations about what goes into the liquid cartridges that fuel them.

So it’s no surprise that some recent research shows they can flood your body with carcinogens.

For the study, researchers compared the urine of e-cigarette users with that of nonsmokers, specifically looking for otoluidine and 2-naphthylamine, two dangerous chemicals known to cause bladder cancer.

After the results came back from the lab, the researchers were shocked…

Ninety-two percent of the e-cigarette users were positive for both otoluidine and 2-naphthylamine.

Of course, the nonsmokers were negative for the chemicals.

But the bad news doesn’t end there…

Other research shows that e-cigs can contain up to 42 chemicals, including known cancer-causing chemicals like benzene, formaldehyde and N-nitrosonornicotine.

What’s worse, many of these chemicals are emitted through secondhand smoke. This mean just being around someone vaping could be dangerous for your health.

Further research is needed to prove a direct link between e-cigs and cancer, but with ingredients like these, the writing’s on the wall.

If you’re trying to quit smoking, give 5-HTP a shot. This powerful supplement has been shown to help fight cravings and nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

You can find 5-HTP at natural health stores or through vitacost.com.

Live well,

Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily

Ed. Note: Please send your feedback: feedback@livingwelldaily.com – and click here to like us on Facebook.

Sources

^[1] Harmful Chemicals in Electronic Cigarettes

^[2] E-Cigarettes Linked to Bladder Cancer Risk

^[3] Carcinogens Found in Urine of e-Cigarette Users

^[4] 5-Hydroxytryptophan attenuates somatic signs of nicotine withdrawal.

Written By Natalie Moore

Natalie Moore is a dedicated health researcher with a passion for finding healthy, natural, and science-based solutions. After a decade of direct healthcare experience in western and natural medicine, she was involved in public health research before joining Living Well Daily.

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