For some people, an electric cigarette (vape) is a cigarette replacement because it is considered safer. But that is not necessarily true. In addition to long-term studies that can precisely determine the dangers of electric cigarettes, researchers suspect that vape will damage the body in a way that is slightly different from ordinary tobacco cigarettes. Some anesthetic effects can be detrimental to reproductive health in men.
What is the danger of electric cigarettes for male fertility?
One of the advantages of electric cigarettes is that the resulting steam is only water vapor and not smoke pollution from burning paper and tobacco leaves. Yet, many health experts state that the steam from electric cigarettes still contains nicotine, along with other chemical compounds such as formaldehyde, acrolein, propylene glycol, and glycerin. Although the amount of nicotine is less than tobacco cigarettes, the water vapor is still carcinogenic and has the potential to damage the human body.
The danger of electric cigarettes has the potential to cause a disturbed conception in couples. Studies in mice showed that water vapor produced by vape can reduce the reproductive capacity of male rats. The effects of exposure to vapor by vape, since mice in the uterus male rats have fewer sperm counts and have less trouble to fertilize an egg to get offspring.
The results of a study published at the British Fertility conference show that fluids in electrical and vaporous cigarettes can impair the function of male reproductive health. One of the researchers, Dr. O'Neill, quoted by the Daily Mail, states that the two most popular flavors of vape liquids - cinnamon and chewing gum - are detrimental to the development of sperm cells.
Researchers compared sperm samples from 30 men and compared sperm activity based on liquid taste and the habit of using electric cigarettes. Sperm cells from individuals who use higher concentration of cinnamon flavors tend to swim more slowly than the use of flavorings with lower concentration. While the liquid with the taste of chewing gum has a worse effect because it affects the tissue of the testes and causes premature death of sperm cells with large amounts. He also added that the basic ingredients of the two aromatized liquids are harmful to health when heating and changes in the chemical structure so that the vapor produced by vapors contains toxins.
Some food flavors in other vapor liquids are listed as ingredients to be consumed but will have a harmful effect on inhalation. In addition to flavorings, at least nine harmful toxins in the liquid of electric cigarettes are classified as chemicals that can cause reproductive health problems and cancer retardants.
Tobacco cigarettes and electric cigarettes: what is more dangerous for the reproductive health of men?
In general, the danger of electric cigarettes for the reproductive health of men does not differ much from tobacco smoking. Both can reduce the chance that someone has offspring. Both smoking and sucking cigarettes still contain nicotine which can be broken down into cotinine. Laboratory studies show that cotinine can cause sperm cells to move more slowly, while nicotine has been shown to reduce sperm count and reduce the ability to fertilize an egg.