How Do Herbal Cigarettes Compare To Tobacco? A Comprehensive Review of Their Sensory Characters, Phytochemicals, and Functional Properties

Abstract

Herbal cigarettes, known as tobacco-free or nicotine-free cigarettes, are those recognized as being-tobacco free, being composed of a mixture of various herbs claimed to lessen the smoking habit hazards. However, controversial data regarding its properties occur in the literature with no comprehensive overview or analysis of its effects. Like herbal smokeless tobacco, they are often used to substitute for tobacco products (primarily cigarettes) regarded as a “nonsmoking” aid. This review capitalizes on herbal cigarettes with regard to their quality characteristics, sensory attributes, chemical composition, and health properties to rationalize their choice as a nonsmoking aid. Furthermore, the impacts of heat and/or pyrolysis that occur during smoking on its chemical composition are presented for the first time. Some herbal smokes may produce notable metabolic problems that increase the risk of several chronic metabolic diseases. In general, burning substances from plants can have a variety of negative effects on the body attributed to toxic chemicals such as carbon monoxide, polyaromatics, nicotine, and N-nitrosamines. This review compiles and discusses the phytochemical compositions detected in various herbal cigarettes alongside sensory and quality attributes and health effects.

Alternative Crops for the European Tobacco Industry: A Systematic Review

“…Through the first scan during stage 1, the list was reduced to nearly 900 published documents that mentioned 62 different plant species. Following the exclusion criteria C1–C5 (stage 2), the references list was reduced to 11 [ 13 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ], which mentioned 25 different plant species ( Figure 1 ). Out of these 25 species, 6 were most frequently mentioned in the literature and/or in existing herbal smoking products.…”

“…Considered by many as one of the most (if not the most) influential herbs in traditional Chinese medicine, ginseng has been cultivated for centuries in Asia, where it originates from [ 49 ]. Even though ginseng is mainly cultivated due to its pharmaceutical properties and nutritional value [ 50 ], it is also one of the most commonly used herbs in herbal smoking blends [ 13 ].…”

“…Dried or fresh parts of these plants are extensively used in many industries, including in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food commodities [ 71 , 72 ]. Some mints are also frequently used in cigarettes because of the intense menthol flavor and the cooling effect they provide, which covers the bitterness of tobacco [ 13 ].…”

“…Indeed, the available data dictate that herbal cigarettes could be as detrimental for human health as any other conventional tobacco product [ 93 ]. Besides some mentions in traditional medical practices [ 13 ], there is no proof beyond reasonable doubt that smoking herbal cigarettes could be beneficial, or even less harmful than tobacco. Unless future studies prove otherwise, the potential of adopting TACs can only be measured based on their benefits for the environment, the agricultural sector, and the smoking industry.…”

“…One of the solutions that has been proposed as a means to mitigate the health hazards of and dependency to tobacco is the use of smoking herbal blends or herbal cigarettes [ 12 ]. Herbal cigarettes are popular in Asia, where they have been advertised as healthier and safer alternatives to tobacco, occasionally with beneficial properties for the consumers’ health [ 13 ]. In the West, herbal smoking blends are often used in cannabis-substituting herbal mixtures that usually contain synthetic cannabinoids [ 14 ].…”