I've read though the post "Help with Vanilla?" and several other DIY liquid posts concerning the use of vanillin in e-liquid. I've searched for a thread directly concerning vanillin and haven't found one exclusively pertaining to this subject. I thought it would be good to start a thread concerning the issue directly as there seems to be concerns.
I would like to point out the no matter what "vanilla" flavor you might use it is going to contain vanillin. Whether the source is from chemical origin, "natural" origin, or from a vanilla bean, your vanilla flavor is going to contain vanillin. Please consider this; putting aside the argument products from natural origin are somehow better for you, the chemical vanillin is the same "stuff" whether its made chemically, or it comes from a vanilla pod. In fact, true vanilla does not contain vanillin until the pod is cured and it than contains over 170 flavor compounds besides vanillin (1).
The toxicity of vanillin has been well established. An average sized person would probably need to eat over 75 grams (2.5 ounces) of pure vanillin for it to have a toxic effect (2). The established "safe" daily intake of vanillin is 10 mg per kg. A strong vanilla flavor is present at about 2% concentrations of vanillin, so the amount used in any e-fluid is unlikely to ever become a toxic amount.
Now, given all of these facts that vanilla flavor is a safe, I have no data concerning the heating of vanilla in a propelyn glycol or glycerin solution. What are any of the flavorings we are using in e-fluid doing when we vape them? I'm looking at it this way, it's an established "safe to eat" flavor and is reasonably heat tolerant. If you bake vanilla cookies at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 C) in an oven, you are going to pull out vanilla cookies in 5-7 minutes and not something else. I'm not an expert or a professional chemist, I'm just wanting to point out the facts that are out there.
*edit for punctuation, double line returns
I would like to point out the no matter what "vanilla" flavor you might use it is going to contain vanillin. Whether the source is from chemical origin, "natural" origin, or from a vanilla bean, your vanilla flavor is going to contain vanillin. Please consider this; putting aside the argument products from natural origin are somehow better for you, the chemical vanillin is the same "stuff" whether its made chemically, or it comes from a vanilla pod. In fact, true vanilla does not contain vanillin until the pod is cured and it than contains over 170 flavor compounds besides vanillin (1).
The toxicity of vanillin has been well established. An average sized person would probably need to eat over 75 grams (2.5 ounces) of pure vanillin for it to have a toxic effect (2). The established "safe" daily intake of vanillin is 10 mg per kg. A strong vanilla flavor is present at about 2% concentrations of vanillin, so the amount used in any e-fluid is unlikely to ever become a toxic amount.
Now, given all of these facts that vanilla flavor is a safe, I have no data concerning the heating of vanilla in a propelyn glycol or glycerin solution. What are any of the flavorings we are using in e-fluid doing when we vape them? I'm looking at it this way, it's an established "safe to eat" flavor and is reasonably heat tolerant. If you bake vanilla cookies at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 C) in an oven, you are going to pull out vanilla cookies in 5-7 minutes and not something else. I'm not an expert or a professional chemist, I'm just wanting to point out the facts that are out there.
- About The Vanilla Orchid - Vanilla Botanical Facts, Vanilla fragrans, Vanilla planiflora, Vanilla Beans, Cultivation - The flavor components are bound as glycosides and must be set free by enzymatic reaction. During the curing, an enzyme converts the precursors to the rich flavoring elements that make up more than 170 flavoring components.
- 125. Vanillin (FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series 44a) – Toxicology estimate based on i.p. Guinea-pig and 75 kg human body weight.
*edit for punctuation, double line returns
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