WELLINGTON, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Vaping electronic cigarettes with flavored liquids could help in the global fight against obesity, New Zealand researchers said Wednesday.
The Massey University researchers, who co-authored a study with British scientists, reviewed existing research and found that current knowledge supported the idea that flavored vaping might help with weight control, but more research was needed.
Professor Bernhard Breier, a world leading expert on appetite regulation and metabolic health, said the role of taste perception and aroma as sensory triggers of satiety mechanisms showed considerable promise.
"Research investigating how taste and aroma enhance satiation will support the development of flavors that induce or increase the feeling of satiation while reducing food intake," Breier said in a statement.
"Such approaches will advance knowledge about enhanced sensory attributes generated through the smell, taste, color, temperature and mouth-feel of particular vapors."
Associate Professor Marewa Glover said vaping's use of e-liquids with food flavors, along with "the mouth-feel and aroma of the vapor and the hand-to-mouth actions of vaping," could play a role in helping people eat less.
"Obesity is set to overtake smoking as the leading preventable cause of disease and early death in several countries," Glover said in the statement.
"If there is a chance that flavored vaping could help even a small proportion of people reduce the diabetes, cardiovascular and cancer risks associated with excess weight, the population health gains would be significant."
