Vaping: A Lot Of Hot Air?

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⏰ IN A RUSH?

Today’s 30-Second Summary

If you don’t have time to read the whole email today, here are some key takeaways:

• Vaping comes with its own unique health risks, different from those of smoking

  • It is, however, broadly much less harmful than smoking, per se—and is recommended as a means of quitting smoking.

• Would your health benefit from a relaxing vacation?

  • Today’s sponsor Dollar Flight Club is offering up to 90% off flights, so that could be a lot sooner than you think!

Read on to learn about these things and more…

👀 WATCH AND LEARN

What Happens If You Stop Eating Sugar | The Human Body (1:36)

According to dietitian Tamara Duker-Freuman, MS, RD, CDN, when we cut sugar out of our diets we can expect some immediate physical changes:

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Prefer text? You might like our previous main feature:

Which Sugars Are Healthier, And Which Are Just The Same?

Want to watch it, but not right now? Bookmark it for later! 🔖

😶‍🌫️ MAIN FEATURE

Vaping: A Lot Of Hot Air?

Yesterday, we asked you for your (health-related) opinions on vaping, and got the above-depicted, below-described, set of responses:

• A little over a third of respondents said it’s actually more dangerous than smoking

• A little under a third of respondents said it’s no better nor worse, just different

• A little over 10% of respondents said it’s marginally less harmful, but still very bad

• A little over 10% of respondents said it’s a much healthier alternative to smoking

So what does the science say?

Vaping is basically just steam inhalation, plus the active ingredient of your choice (e.g. nicotine, CBD, THC, etc): True or False?

False! There really are a lot of other chemicals in there.

And “chemicals” per se does not necessarily mean evil green glowing substances that a comicbook villain would market, but there are some unpleasantries in there too:

• Potential harmful health effects of inhaling nicotine-free shisha-pen vapor: a chemical risk assessment of the main components propylene glycol and glycerol

• Inflammatory and Oxidative Responses Induced by Exposure to Commonly Used e-Cigarette Flavoring Chemicals and Flavored e-Liquids without Nicotine

So, the substrate itself can cause irritation, and flavorings (with cinnamaldehyde, the cinnamon flavoring, being one of the worst) can really mess with our body’s inflammatory and oxidative responses.

Vaping can cause “popcorn lung”: True or False?

True and False! Popcorn lung is so-called after it came to attention when workers at a popcorn factory came down with it, due to exposure to diacetyl, a chemical used there.

That chemical was at that time also found in most vapes, but has since been banned in many places, including the US, Canada, the EU and the UK.

Vaping is just as bad as smoking: True or False?

False, per se. In fact, it’s recommended as a means of quitting smoking, by the UK’s famously thrifty NHS, that absolutely does not want people to be sick because that costs money:

NHS | Vaping To Quit Smoking

Of course, the active ingredients (e.g. nicotine, in the assumed case above) will still be the same, mg for mg, as they are for smoking.

Vaping is causing a health crisis amongst “kids nowadays”: True or False?

True—it just happens to be less serious on a case-by-case basis to the risks of smoking.

However, it is worth noting that the perceived harmlessness of vapes is surely a contributing factor in their widespread use amongst young people—decades after actual smoking (thankfully) went out of fashion.

On the other hand, there’s a flipside to this:

Flavored vape restrictions lead to higher cigarette sales

So, it may indeed be the case of “the lesser of two evils”.

Want to know more?

For a more in-depth science-ful exploration than we have room for here…

BMJ | Impact of vaping on respiratory health

Take care!

❤️ OUR SPONSORS MAKE THIS PUBLICATION POSSIBLE

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Please do visit our sponsors—they help keep 10almonds free

🌍 AROUND THE WEB

What’s happening in the health world…

• First-of-its-kind hormone replacement treatment shows promise in patient trials

• Ketamine's long-lasting antidepressant effects unveiled in new study

• Can strawberries mitigate Alzheimer's risk? Recent study suggests a possibility

• Study finds ice cream, potato chips may be as addictive as drugs

• Less is often more when it comes to health impact of children on parents later in life, new study says

• Can beta-carotene boost cognitive health? Study reveals promising insights

• Hormone levels tied to metabolic health in obesity

More to come tomorrow!

📖 ONE-MINUTE BOOK REVIEW

Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It – by Gary Taubes

We've previously reviewed Taubes' "The Case Against Sugar". What does this one bring differently?

Mostly, it's a different focus. Unsurprisingly, Taubes' underlying argument is the same: sugar is the biggest dietary health hazard we face. However, this book looks at it specifically through the lens of weight loss, or avoiding weight gain.

Taubes argues for low-carb in general; he doesn't frame it specifically as the ketogenic diet here, but that is what he is advocating. However, he also acknowledges that not all carbs are created equal, and looks at several categories that are relatively better or worse for our insulin response, and thus, fat management.

If the book has a fault it's that it does argue a bit too much for eating large quantities of meat, based on Weston Price's outdated and poorly-conducted research. However, if one chooses to disregard that, the arguments for a low-carb diet for weight management remain strong.

Bottom line: if you'd like to cut some fat without eating less (or exercising more), this book offers a good, well-explained guide for doing so.

Click here to check out Why We Get Fat, and manage yours!

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May today see you well-prepared for the coming weekend,

The 10almonds Team