For many, vaping has become a trendy alternative to traditional cigarettes. But while the clouds of vapour may seem harmless, a new frontier of research is raising concerns about its impact on our guts. Can vaping disrupt our delicate ecosystem?
Vaping is the act of inhaling an aerosol (or mist) created by an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) device. E-cigarettes, often called vapes, are devices that heat a liquid until it turns into an aerosol that you inhale. The liquid used usually contains nicotine (the addictive drug in tobacco), flavourings, and other chemicals. While vaping may seem less harmful than smoking cigarettes because it doesn’t involve directly burning tobacco, the long-term health effects of vaping are still under research, especially its effects on the digestive system.
Recent research suggests that chemicals in e-cigarettes can damage the protective barrier in your gut and trigger inflammation throughout your body. This inflammation might contribute to various health issues. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract lining functions as a semi-permeable barrier, selectively allowing the absorption of nutrients while keeping trillions of gut microbes contained. This lining also plays a crucial role in immune defence. Recent research suggests that exposure to e-cigarette aerosol may disrupt this delicate barrier, leading to a “leaky gut” phenomenon. This increased permeability could allow microbes and other molecules to pass through the gut wall, potentially triggering chronic inflammation throughout the body. Such chronic inflammation has already been linked to various health concerns in the long term, including inflammatory bowel disease, cognitive decline, certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, liver fibrosis, diabetes, and arthritis.
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Prof. Dr. Giovanni Leonetti is a licensed general surgeon who obtained his medical degree at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, where he also received his PhD in Advanced Technologies in Surgery. He teaches Gastroenterology at Unicamillus Health University of Rome.
During his career, he has refined the most modern and advanced diagnostic and therapeutic upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy techniques for treating diseases affecting the digestive system
