Vitamin Vaping Raises Wariness among Scientists
Companies claim e-cigarettes can deliver nutrients, but experts say the science looks shaky
You’ve still got to eat to live, but now you can purportedly back this up by vaping your vitamins.
One company claims a few puffs on their e-cigarette packs your lungs with 10 times the recommended daily dose of vitamin B12. Other products contain a cocktail of vitamins including A, C or D or other nutrients such as amino acids and collagen—all in a liquid that is vaporized on a heated metal coil, then inhaled.
Companies making these devices say they are designed for wellness, and that science guides their formulations to make them as healthy as possible. But scientists say the research the vaping industry uses to back such claims is not up to date, or is being presented out of context. “To me, [using vitamins and nutrients] is a marketing ploy to sell this product and make it look healthier. Consumers associate vitamins with health,” says Regan Bailey, a nutritional epidemiologist at Purdue University. “These products might be completely safe, but they might not be. We know literally nothing about the safety or efficacy of inhaling vitamins.”
Like Bailey, Rehan and Hochhaus are skeptical about the potential health benefits these products might hold, and warn nutrient vaping might have unforeseen risks. “For example, vitamin C is an acid,” Hochhaus says, questioning the effect inhaling an acid might have on one’s lungs.
There may be unknown risks to nutrient vaping, Sparq’s Kwitel says—but adds his company is simply trying to create a better option for consumers who already vape or smoke. “We know [some vape ingredients] on the market are not healthy and we decided to stay away from that,” he says, referring to other nutrient vapes as well as nicotine-containing e-cigarettes. “We want to provide a non-harmful alternative to people already vaping.” He compares Sparq’s products with reduced-fat junk food. “Are half-fat potato chips 100 percent healthy for you? No. Is it much better than the alternative? Absolutely.”
Kwitel says his company has taken great pains to ensure its product will not cause harm. He and his colleagues sent their products to a third-party chemical testing lab to check if vitamins and other ingredients were being destroyed or transformed into harmful compounds from the heating and vaporization. “There’s a lot of stuff that didn’t work,” he says. “We put a tremendous amount of time and money into this.”
Even if vitamin vaping is safe and effective, why anyone would start this new habit is baffling to some. Healthy adults get their vitamins and amino acids just fine from eating, Hochhaus says. “So I don’t see any reason why you should inhale it.” Angus Chen
