Electronic cigarettes have been found to damage men's sperm through toxic chemicals in the flavourings.The latest study to raise health concerns about the fashionable devices found cinnamon-flavoured e-cigarettes in particular make sperm slower swimmers.Bubblegum flavouring, another of the most popular, kills off cells in the testis which help to produce sperm.It is well known that cigarettes may damage men's fertility, through DNA damage to the sperm, while e-cigarettes are promoted as a healthy alternative to smoking.Electronic cigarettes have been found to damage men's sperm through toxic chemicals in the flavouringsBut researchers at University College London found, even when no nicotine is included, e-cigarette flavourings could affect men's chances of starting a family.It follows research that these flavourings, within the aerosol vapour puffed out by the electronic devices, which can be heated up to 300C, contain cancer-causing chemicals including formaldehyde.And it comes as scientists at the University of Salford, who found e-cig flavourings like butterscotch and menthol risk lung damage by killing off bronchial cells, call for better safety checks.The danger to sperm is believed to come from chemicals in the flavourings, which are toxic to the human body, such as coumarin, which is a cheaper version of cinammon bark and commonly found in flavourings sold in the UK and made in China.Lead author Dr Helen O'Neill, who presented the findings to the British Fertility Conference in Edinburgh yesterday, said the results were 'shocking', adding: 'In terms of motility, progression and concentration of sperm, there was a detrimental effect.'She

added: 'E-cigarettes are promoted as the health alternative to smoking, the healthy thing to do.Vaping is less harmful than conventional cigarettes, but nonetheless they are not without their harmful effects.'Thereare 7,000 different flavours of electronic cigarettes, but those tested were the two most popular - cinnamon and bubblegum and plain devices just containing propylene glycol, a tasteless liquid used in the production of vapour.Sperm samples were taken from 30 men, tested with concentrations of the flavours similar to the average intake for casual and more habitual e-cigarette users.Researchers found sperm exposed to the highest concentration of flavourings moved significantly more slowly, while their swimming speed was affected.The biggest impact came from the cinnamon flavour.The men, who were undergoing IVF but had healthy sperm, were not able to use the devices directly, but the flavourings were inserted directly into the sperm in the concentrations they would be exposed to.

No nicotine was included.A second experiment to see how mice exposed to the flavourings reacted found cells in the testes were killed off by the chemicals in them.e cigarette posThe latest study to raise health concerns about the fashionable devices found cinnamon-flavoured e-cigarettes in particular make sperm slower swimmers Bubblegum had the worst effect, with the highest number of dying cells in the testes tissue.Dr O' Neill said these chemicals may harm men's fertility through the toxins they produce when heated in e-cigarettes.e cigarette shanghaiThese e cigarettes can deliver a nicotine hit without containing tobacco and puff out an aerosol vapour.Many flavourings are only regulated as foodstuffs, based on being consumed rather than inhaled.Dr O'Neill said: 'There is very little regulation before they are allowed onto the market.e cigarette safer than smoking

Some are classified as food additives and that is how they get round it.'Theecig vejenstudy due to be published this month, coincides with a study on e-cigarette flavourings and the risk of lung damage by the University of Salford.The experts, who published their findings in the journal Science Progress, studied 20 liquid refills in nine flavours - cherry, strawberry, ice-mint, menthol, tobacco, blueberry, vanilla, bubble-gum and butterscotch – bought from shops, chemists and over the internet.In laboratory tests on human bronchial cells, all the flavourings were toxic, with the fruit flavours at the lower end of the scale and coffee, butterscotch and tobacco the worst offenders.Cells did not recover after being exposed for more than 72 hours.'Wee cigarette ulverstonare talking about flavours which are normally ingested in food where tissue is much different from tissue in the lungs,' Dr Patricia Ragazzon of the university's Biomedical Research Centre said.'Whene cigarette titusville

inhaled, some of the flavours we tested proved to be substantially toxic, with prolonged exposure killing bronchial cells completely.'She added: 'Our work supports the opinion that e-cigarettes and especially the ingredients of the e-liquid, which can change in structure after the process of heating, have not been thoroughly characterised or evaluated for safety.'E-CIGARETTES could reduce a bloke’s chances of becoming a dad, experts have warned.Toxic chemicals in the flavourings used in the devices have been found to damage a man’s fertility, new findings suggest.Specific e-cigarette flavours are damaging men’s sperm In particular cinnamon flavoured e-cigs were found to make sperm slower swimmers, the latest study to raise health concerns about the devices found.And, another popular flavour, bubblegum, kills off cells in the testicles which help produce sperm.There are more than 2.6 million users of e-cigarettes in the UK, but experts warn the devices are not as safe as people may think.

Researchers at University College London found, even when no nicotine is included, e-cigarette flavourings could affect men’s chances of starting a family, the Daily Mail reported.It is widely accepted, and backed up by scientific evidence, that regular cigarettes damage the DNA in sperm.But, until now the dangers posed by e-cigs were not known.The devices are sold and marketed as a healthier alternative to smoking, and used by many to try and stop their habit.However, concerns have been raised that while the devices are useful to smokers wanting to quit, they are acting as a gateway, encouraging non-smokers to take up the dangerous habit.The latest study comes after scientists at the University of Salford found e-cigarette flavourings like butterscotch and menthol kill of bronchial cells in the lungs, increasing the risk of damage.The experts studied 20 liquid refills in nine flavours –  cherry, strawberry, ice-mint, menthol, tobacco, blueberry, vanilla, bubble-gum and butterscotch – bought from shops, chemists and over the internet.

ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS YOU'RE NOT ALONE HOW CLEANING COULD SAVE YOU A GATEWAY TO SMOKING?NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE In tests on human lung tissue, both embryo and adult cells were exposed to vapour at a range of concentrations over 24, 48 and 72 hours.All proved toxic to the cells, with fruit flavours having less impact than other flavours, the researchers noted.Now, scientists fear the devices are harming mens’ fertility.Dr Helen O’Neill, who presented her findings at the British Fertility Conference in Edinburgh yesterday, said chemicals such as coumarin, a cheaper version of cinnamon bark and found in e-cig liquids, are “damaging to sperm”.She said: “In terms of motility, progression and concentration of sperm, there was a detrimental effect.“Vaping is less harmful than conventional cigarettes, but nonetheless they are not without their harmful effects,” the Mail reported.To arrive at their findings Dr O’Neill and her colleagues took sperm samples from 30 men.

The researchers then exposed the samples to two flavours of e-cig liquid – cinnamon and bubblegum.They found the bubblegum flavour was found to be most damaging to the testicles, causing a condition called apoptosis, where cells are killed off.Cinnamon flavour slows sperm down, while bubblegum flavour kills cells in the testicles Meanwhile, sperm exposed to high concentrations of the cinnamon flavour chemicals were found to be slower swimmers.There are currently around 7,000 different e-cigarette flavours available to buy.Yet, Dr O’Neill and her colleagues warn in their study: “Presently, there are no regulations on the use of these products.” Many are only regulated as foodstuffs, based on being consumed rather than inhaled.Public Health England has endorsed the use of e-cigarettes to help smokers to quit the habit with 20,000 citing them as helping them to quit in 2014.Vaping is less harmful than conventional cigarettes, but nonetheless they are not without their harmful effects But Action on Smoking and Health has called for e-cigarettes to be treated like other lit tobacco products until there is firm scientific evidence that they are not harmful.

Researchers at the University of Salford found after more than 72 hours of exposure to e cigarette chemicals, cells in the lungs did not recover.Dr Patricia Ragazzon of the biomedical research centre at the university said: “We are talking about flavours which are normally ingested in food where tissue is much different from tissue in the lungs.“The composition of refills is highly irregular – some are natural flavours, some are single compounds, some are synthetic flavours, – there are so many varied products on the market,  it’s difficult to gauge their harmfulness.“Our work supports the opinion that e-cigarettes and especially the ingredients of the e-liquid, which can change in structure after the process of heating, have not been thoroughly characterised or evaluated for safety.” Both studies called for further research into the harmful effects of electronic cigarettes and better regulation of the devices internationally.We pay for your stories!Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team?