New research touted by manufacturers as a “healthy” alternative to cigarettes and traditional nicotine shows that thechemicals contained in e-cigarettesdisrupt the intestinal barrier and trigger inflammation in the body. This could potentially lead to a variety of health concerns.
How dangerous can the alternative to cigarettes be?
In the new study, scientists found that constant use of nicotine-free e-cigarettes led to leaky gut. Microbes and other molecules seeped out of it and led to chronic inflammation. Such a condition can promote a variety of diseases and complications. This includes inflammatory bowel disease, dementia, certain cancers, atherosclerosis, liver fibrosis, diabetes and arthritis. Researchers found that two chemicals used as the base for all liquid e-cigarette vapors were the causeInflammation in the intestineswere. These are propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin. The team found that proteins that form the gut's first physical barrier began to break down or come apart. This allowed pathogens from the steam to penetrate the surrounding immune system. At the same time, they irritated the protective epithelial cells just underneath. These cells act as a defense against infections by removing pathogenic microbes and triggering certain immune responses in the body.
When they were exposed to the e-cigarette liquid, the cells were quickly overwhelmed. So they couldn't effectively eliminate pathogens, which led to intestinal inflammation. This is the first study to show how chronic exposure to e-cigarettes increases the gut's susceptibility to bacterial infections, leading to chronic inflammation and other health problems. The study authors claim that damage to the intestinal lining can be reversible over time. This occurs after eliminating the stimulating factor, in this case the use of e-cigarettes. However, the effects of chronic inflammation on other organs such as the heart or brain can be irreversible. In the future the authors wantthis studystudy different flavors of e-cigarettes to determine what effects they might have on the gut.
