In 2007, a new so-called safer alternative to conventional cigarettes hit the market, claiming to help smokers kick the habit while allowing them to smoke in places where smoking is not customarily allowed. While smoking electronic cigarettes (a practice called 'vaping') may be the trend of the day, this alternative is anything but healthy.

As a matter of fact, vaping may be just as harmful to your health as traditional cigarette smoking!

FDA Does Not Regulate the Safety of E-Cigarettes

E-cigarettes work by delivering liquid nicotine via a chemical compound that is heated up and delivered as vapor into your lungs. Since these electronic cigarettes do not contain tobacco, they don't have to go through any FDA regulatory process. This means that just about any type of chemical, any amount of nicotine, and any type of synthetic "flavoring agent" can be included despite the possible health risks associated with them.

The e-cigarettes flavor packets are not only absorbed by inhalation but also through your skin. This can cause an overdose of nicotine. While most adults have been able to avoid this potential threat, children have not been so lucky. For the past several years, hundreds of emergency room visits have occurred as the result of an unsuspecting child drinking the tasty flavor packets or sneaking use of the inhalant device.

Top 10 Harmful Ingredients in Electronic Cigarettes

Manufacturers of electronic cigarettes advertise their products as safer than cigarettes because they don't contain tobacco. This is simply a marketing ploy to sell a product. E-cigarettes contain many dangerous synthetic chemicals that could greatly increase your chances of developing cancer.

These chemicals include:

1. Acetaldehyde

Acetaldehyde is a chemical compound that has been classified as a Group I carcinogen. It is the most abundant carcinogen found in cigarette smoke and has been found in several brands of electronic cigarettes. In addition to being a cancer-causing substance, it can contribute to abnormal muscle development in children.

2. Acetone

Acetone is a volatile and flammable liquid that has been linked to allergic reaction, neurological dysfunction, and reproductive impairment.

3. Acrolein

Acrolein is a highly-reactive industrial chemical that has been classified as a strong upper respiratory irritant in those with asthma, allergies, and other chronic respiratory disorders.

4. Benzopyrene

Benzopyrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). It reacts and binds to your DNA, which could eventually lead to mutations and the development of cancer.

5. Chromium

This hard, white metal has been classified as a serious occupational hazard because it so easily passes through your cellular membranes. Chromium has been linked to kidney failure as well as the development of lung, nasal, and sinus cancer.

6. Diethylene Glycol

Diethylene glycol is a chemical solvent that has been shown to cause serious gastrointestinal and neurological impairment; it has been banned from use in India.

7. Formaldehyde

The Agency for Research on Cancer has classified formaldehyde as a possible human carcinogen. Case-controlled studies have revealed a link between occupational inhalation of formaldehyde and the development of nasopharyngeal cancer and leukemia.

8. Lead

Lead has long been known as a developmental toxicant. There is no environmentally safe level of lead. Using e-cigarettes containing lead can lead to muscle and joint pain, fertility problems, nerve disorders, high blood pressure, and chronic digestive disorders.

9. Nickel

Nickel is a silvery-white metal that has been linked to renal toxicity as well as lung and nasal cancers.

10. Propylene Glycol

Propylene glycol is the active ingredient in engine coolants, anti-freeze, and de-icers. The Material Safety Data Sheet has shown that propylene glycol may cause skin, liver, and kidney damage.

As you can see, vaping is no healthier for you than smoking. Although there are some organic, chemical-free e-cigarettes on the market, they all still contain nicotine. While nicotine in and of itself has not been linked to cancer, it is still a highly-addictive substance that has been shown to contribute to cardiovascular disease and worsen mental health disturbances.

Though smoking cessation can be difficult, it is in the best interest of your health to take steps to quit. Studies have shown that an herbal remedy called Rhodiola rosea L. extract can help ease smoking withdrawal symptoms and make cessation easier.

Since years of cigarette smoking deplete your natural mineral stores, I strongly advise adding a chelated magnesium supplement to your diet. Magnesium is responsible for over 300 enzymatic reactions in your body and is essential for good neurological health. Magnesium can help ease your nicotine withdrawal symptoms by treating the anxiety, irritability, and insomnia associated with quitting smoking.

Quitting smoking can be one of the more difficult things you can do to improve your health but once you do, you'll be healthier and feel better than you have in years!