Using flavored vapes could have a bigger impact on your health than previously known
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Flavor additives commonly found in electronic cigarettes used by millions of Americans can damage joint health – even without any nicotine, according to a study published Wednesday.
Cinnamon and menthol flavors proved especially harmful, causing ATDC5 cartilage cells to die, researchers at New Jersey’s Seton Hall University said.
And the chemical flavors were also shown to disrupt the cells’ ability to build and maintain healthy tissue, triggering inflammation in the cells and turning on changes in the body that lead to tissue breakdown and cause swelling.
“Our findings show that e-cigarette flavor additives are far from benign additives,” Jessica Cottrell, an associate professor at the school, said in a statement.
“Even without nicotine, these chemical agents alter metabolism, gene expression and inflammatory pathways, which underscores an urgent need to examine how vaping impacts broader musculoskeletal and tissue health.”
Other research has shown that cinnamaldehyde – a main compound in cinnamon flavorings – is tied to death in lung and respiratory cells, Cottrell and her co-authors noted.
And other studies published by Rutgers University and University of Hawai’i researchers showed other negative effects of menthol in e-cigarettes.
The researchers chose five flavors based on popularity in the U.S., including tobacco, strawberry kiwi and flavorless additives.
Some 7 percent of American adults reported using e-cigarettes in 2024, according to the latest federal data released in March. And 8 percent said they had used one in the past week in a 2025 Gallup poll.
E-cigarettes aren’t considered safe, but experts generally say they’re less risky than smoking tobacco because they don’t burn material. Smoking tobacco is what causes about 20 percent of all cancers, according to the American Cancer Society.
Still, e-cigarettes contain addictive nicotine, a chemical stimulant that creates addiction.
The battery-powered devices have also been found to contain heavy metals, volatile organic compounds and cancer-causing chemicals, the American Heart Association warns.
“The liquid used in e-cigarettes can be dangerous, even apart from its intended use. Children and adults have been poisoned by swallowing, breathing or absorbing the liquid through their skin or eyes,” the association wrote.
