Vitamin E is a Powerhouse Nutrient and Antioxidant. But When It Comes to Vaping, It Could Be Deadly

6 years ago | Smoking

By: Joy Stephenson-Laws, J.D., Founder

You’re probably pretty familiar with the current vaping crisis, especially if you’re a parent of a teenager or young adult. To say this issue is concerning is an understatement.

There have been several deaths caused by vaping. There are also many cases of lung disease due to vaping. Just recently a teen in Michigan became what is believed to be the first U.S. recipient of a double lung transplant due to vaping lung damage.

For some time, it was somewhat of a mystery as to why vaping is causing such serious lung issues. Of course, smoking is not good for you. But what is it about vaping that would cause a young man to require a double lung transplant?

The main culprit appears to be vitamin E acetate. It is an oil that is a synthetic form of vitamin E.

“Investigators [from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)] tested samples of fluid taken from the lungs of 29 patients with vaping illness in 10 different states, and found vitamin E acetate in all 29. No other oils, such as mineral oil or plant oils, were found at high levels,” according to one report.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant and nutrient that helps protect cells from damage and helps the immune system fight off infections. This vitamin is also important for making red blood cells and maintaining healthy eyesight. Foods such as sunflower seeds, almonds, avocado, mango and broccoli are all good sources of vitamin E.

There are also many vitamin E supplements readily available to us that contain vitamin E acetate, and this synthetic form of vitamin E is also found in many skincare products. So it appears that applying vitamin E acetate topically or swallowing it in a capsule is not harmful.

But on the other hand, inhaling it (as many people have been doing with vaping) can be deadly.

“One official described inhaled vitamin E acetate as a coating of honey that sticks around in the lungs,” according to the report referenced earlier.

“Vitamin E acetate is used as an additive in the production of e-cigarette, or vaping, products, because it resembles THC oil. Vitamin E acetate is also used as a thickening ingredient in e-liquids,” reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It is also important to note that the vapers affected by vitamin E acetate were more likely to vape THC (the chemical in marijuana that gets you high) as opposed to nicotine. So this means that all of those recently legal (in many regions of the United States) marijuana vape products aren’t necessarily safe. (To be clear, I would advise to not vape both nicotine and THC. I recommend not vaping or smoking at all!).

“The patients who became ill were more likely to vape only THC, and to use it frequently, more than five times a day. They were nine times as likely to buy THC from informal sources like dealers, friends or on the street, and eight times as likely to have used Dank Vapes, which the officials described as ‘a class of largely counterfeit THC-containing products,’ from unknown sources,” according to this New York Times article.

You really need to know what you are putting in your body. Just because the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approves a product or “everyone else is doing it” does not mean that it cannot have serious health consequences. It can even be deadly.

To learn how you can be proactive and protect your kids from vaping, read here.

Enjoy your healthy life!

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