Is it true that smoking of electronic cigarettes and wakes with sweet tastes leads to diabetes?

It is common that nicotin -containing liquids with sweet tastes can provoke diabetes in the smoker. We decided to check if such a point of view is confirmed by scientific data.

The connection between the smoking of electronic cigarettes and the development of diabetes with links to scientists write Lenta.ru, "Moscow Komsomolets","News"And other media. Especially dangerous, how reported, fluids with a sweet taste: "Once in the body, the aerosol causes resistance (immunity) to insulin, which causes a jump in blood sugar." Indicated Also, that sweet aromas make electronic cigarettes attractive for teenagers. On forums people with diabetes Markthat “sweet fruit” fluids affect the sugar level, and on some sites dedicated to vapam, on the contrary, Emphashesthat in comparison with conventional wapering cigarettes, it is much safer for diabetics and even "reduces The risk of the development of pre -the -diabetes. " 

To figure out if there is a connection between sweet gas stations for electronic cigarettes and diabetes, first you need to determine what is understood as electronic cigarettes in principle. There are many ways of consumption of nicotine: this is the chewing of tobacco, the use of nicotine is transbuccal (that is, by placing it between the mucous membrane of the inner surface of the cheek and gums with the teeth - for example, they use snus), smoking ordinary cigarettes, the use of tobacco heating systems (for example, IQOS or GLO), as well as inhalation of a heated steam containing or not containing nicotine. Electronic cigarettes are disposable and with interchangeable cartridges, and by the number of steam they are customary to divide into electronic cigarettes and wards. At the same time, the liquids that refuel electronic disposable cigarettes and which are produced for home refueling of cartridges and wakes are similar in composition. Having studied samples of 54 such liquids, including German scientists manufactured or sold in other countries Determined The main substances contained in them, in addition to nicotine: glycerin, propylene glycol and ethylene glycol. Also in some liquids were discovered by Buthaniol, Propandiol, Dietilen Glycol, Mentol, Ethylvanilin, Kumarin, Camphora, Safrol and Tuion.

By information WHO, more than 422 million people in the world suffer from diabetes and about 1.5 million each year die directly due to this disease. According to data The Federal Sugar of Mell Assembly of the Russian Federation at the beginning of 2023, in Russia, almost 5 million inhabitants (more than 3% of the population) had diabetes in Russia. 

Diabetes mellitus is not a separate disease, but a general Name For a group of disorders in the work of the endocrine system, which are associated with malfunctions in the process of glucose processing. These disorders occur due to a lack of insulin and lead to a constant increase in blood sugar-hyperglycemia. Two types of diabetes are most famous: at the first type the body is not able to produce enough insulin, and at second -It cannot effectively use it due to insulin resistance. There are other varieties - for example, Lada (latent autoimmune diabetes of adults) or gestational (Diabetes in pregnant women). In diagnostic Criteria The American diabetic association indicates more than ten forms of diabetes, as well as related disorders and medications that can provoke the development of the disease.

The first type diabetes is due to the destruction of the pancreatic beta-cells, which are usually responsible for the production of insulin. This can be caused by various factors, but key The role is played by heredity. For example, if both parents suffer from diabetes, the probability that their child will also have this disease is 25%. Determined More than ten genes and their combinations that predispose to it. There are hypotheses that some viruses (in particular, cytomegalovirus, virus epidemic mumps, Rotavirus And Koksaki virus) can initiate diabetes of the first type. Research also Showthat the risk of its development depends on the place of residence (the farther a person lives on the equator, the higher it is) and age (children aged 4 to 7 years and from 10 to 14 years old are more prone to diabetes). In addition, it is proved that some chemicals can affect the pancreatic beta cells, which contributes to the development of the disease. Among such compounds - Pirinuronpreviously used as a means to combat rodents, antitumor drug streptozocin, Aloxanpreviously allowed in the cosmetic industry, chemical reagents Ditizon And Dialulic acid. In the modern world, they are not used in food, nicotine or cosmetic products. Substances that are usually found in liquids for electronic cigarettes are also not able to destroy the pancreatic beta-cells that produce insulin, that is, there is no connection between smoking electronic cigarettes and diabetes of the first type.

Diabetes of the second type usually manifests itself In adulthood, but recently it has been diagnosed in children. The main risk factors include excess weight and obesity, insufficient physical activity, age older than 45 years, arterial hypertension, nonequilibrium level cholesterol (low level of good ”cholesterol and high level of bad), as well as the presence of diabetes in parents. There are also data that depression or syndrome Polycystic ovary can also increase the risk of developing this form of diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes, in turn, occurs in pregnant women due to an increase in the production of sex hormones and cortisol hormone, which can reduce the effectiveness of insulin. Lada-diabetes -This is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the pancreatic beta-cells responsible for the production of insulin. Mody-diabetes It manifests itself due to a genetic mutation, as a result of which the pancreatic cells do not produce enough insulin.

None of the types of diabetes is associated with the use of sweets as such, however, excess calories from such products (however, like calories from any others) can lead to excessive weight and, as a result, the development of diabetes of the second type. When smoking electronic cigarettes, no calories enter the body, so the sweet taste of fluids for such consumption systems of nicotine in itself cannot become a predisposing factor. In this context, there is no difference between a liquid with the taste of a raspberry cheesecake and a similar one, but with a taste of celery. Calories in principle cannot enter the body with inhalation of something. 

Although there is no dependence on the taste of liquid, this does not mean that smoking of electronic cigarettes is in no way connected with diabetes. In 2022, a team of scientists from the Institute of Global Health and Development (China), together with colleagues from American University Jones Hopkins found outthat the risk of pre -the -diabetes (a state when the blood sugar level is constantly increased, but not so much so that diabetes can be diagnosed) is associated with smoking. Those who smoke only electronic cigarettes have 54%higher, and those who smoke both electronic and ordinary are only 14%. Earlier, in 2020, a group of Polish researchers Came To the conclusion that smoking of electronic cigarettes does not affect the development of insulin resistance, but can increase the level of glucose, promote the development of abdominal obesity and increase blood pressure - all this, in turn, increases the risk of developing diabetes of the second type. Road experiments Showthat the aerosol from the liquid for electronic cigarettes (both with the content of nicotine and without it) causes great disorders of glucose metabolism than pure nicotine (it was introduced by the rats with an injection in the peritoneum). By observations Romanian specialists, the level of low density lipoproteins (poor cholesterol) in electronic cigarette smokers is higher compared to non -smokers than in the same comparison between “traditional” smokers and non -smokers. In turn, American scientists, having studied the sample of the national program for the study of health and nutrition, Identified The dependence between the smoking of electronic cigarettes and the risk of the development of insulin resistance, while noting that there is no sufficient data to make a connection between the tolerance to this hormone and the further development of diabetes due to smoking. However, in all studies, the authors note that so far it has not been possible to establish a mechanism through which liquids for electronic cigarettes affect the above parameters. It is also not yet possible to indicate which substance or combination of substances in such mixtures launches these reactions. 

Thus, although excess weight and excessive consumption of calories, including from sweets, significantly increases the risk of diabetes of the second type, the sweet taste of liquid for electronic cigarettes does not affect the probability of developing the disease. From the point of view of calorie content and liquid with the taste of raspberry cheesecake, and the fluid with the taste of celery is the same - there is no energy value in them at all. However, as studies and population observations show, the consumption of electronic cigarettes with any taste can increase the level of glucose and poor cholesterol, the risk of arterial hypertension and abdominal obesity. In turn, all of them affect the risk of diabetes. So far, scientists have to find out why this is exactly what is happening, but it is already clear that electronic cigarettes in this sense are difficult to consider safely replaced by traditional.

Image on the cover: Image by Haiberliu from Pixabay

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