Imagine diligently tracking every calorie, monitoring your food and drink intake, and striving to maintain control over your calorie consumption. Then, out of the blue, comes an unexpected question: “Do vapes contain calories?” Yes, that same vape sitting on your side table, which you’ve used countless times to stave off food cravings and unwind—could it actually contribute to your calorie count?
While the query may seem unconventional, in a world where nutritional information and calorie content are scrutinized for everything, it’s worth exploring whether these electronic cigarettes carry any caloric payload. Let’s delve into the realm of vaping, separating fact from fiction regarding its impact on weight gain and caloric intake.
What is vaping? How Does It Work?
Basically vaping is an alternative to smoking cigarettes. It involves consuming weed concentrate or nicotine through an electric method, instead of dry smoking them through burning.
Vaping is a term that defines an action of inhaling vapors produced by a vape. So, what is a vape? A vape is an electronic device that homes a battery, a coil, an e-liquid tank, or a pod along with a small LCD to display battery levels and other related information. The battery provides power to heat the coil and vaporize the e-liquid present in the tank. Then, this vaporized vape juice is inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece (the top of the vape).
E-Liquid and Its Composition
E-liquid, also known as flavored vape juice or vape liquid, refers to weed concentrates or flavored nicotine-based liquids. The e-liquid is vaporized by the heat generated by the vape’s coil, producing a vapor that is inhaled by the user.
Nicotine-based e-liquid is generally a combination of vegetable glycerin (VG), propylene glycol (PG), artificial flavors, and the main ingredient-nicotine or nicotine salts.
Does Vape Juice Have Calories?
Yes, vape juice has calories. But, the amount of these calories alone is not enough to impact your weight loss or weight gain.
The two essential base ingredients of vape juice are vegetable glycerin VG and Propylene glycol PG. Each has 4 calories per gram. Other ingredients including artificial flavors have negligible calories.
The vape juice brands usually estimate 10 calories per 2ml of vape juice.
As we stated above, flavors do not contain a satisfactory amount of calories. So, you can willingly go with your flavor of choice, whether it be a bitter coffee or light, sweet strawberry.
Do You Consume and Absorb Calories from Vaping?
The answer to this question is “NO”. However, vape juice does have 10 calories per 2 grams. You still don’t absorb or consume them. It is because those calories are not going into your stomach, and at least not human body absorbs calories through the lungs. Or can it?
Experiencing Weight Gain? Vaping Is Not The Culprit
The calorie count found in the vape juice has nothing to do with weight gain. Vaping does not affect or increase your calorie intake.
However, if you are facing weight gain after starting vaping. There are no possible and scientifically approved reasons that connect weight gain after starting vaping with vape juices or nicotine.
Nicotine is a stimulant (A type of drug that fastens up the brain cells, called neuron activity). This surged activity of brain cells promotes a sense of alertness, confidence, and energy. Nicotine has been observed to surpass appetite, which means its intake gives you energy while reducing hunger. So, instead of weight gain, it may help you lose weight by helping you decrease your significant caloric intake.
Increased Blood Sugar Levels? Nicotine Is The Culprit
We will mention again that the calories present in e-juices can not either make you gain weight or blood sugar levels.
However, it is nicotine with its chemical activity that affects metabolism and other brain and body activities.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states on their website, “The nicotine increases blood sugar levels and makes them harder to control even in healthy people, let alone diabetic patients. Usually, people with diabetes who smoke paper or e-cigarettes need increased amounts of insulin to keep their blood sugar level in control.”
So, if you have diabetes and still want to vape, you can always search for brands that do not have nicotine in their e-liquid. Or to curb your nicotine cravings you can look for brands that offer e-liquids with small amounts of nicotine in them.
How Many Calories Do You Need Daily to Avoid Symptoms of Appetite Loss Due to Nicotine
If you are a hard-core vaper, you need to keep track of your food intake to avoid any potential side effects of loss of appetite.
The exact answer to the question “How many calories do you need daily while vaping” depends on your weight, metabolism, and physical activities. However, the recommended daily calorie intake is 2,000 calories for women and 2,500 for men.
If you aim to lose weight, you must go below the recommended daily calories to enter a calorie deficit state. But even then, vaping and calories in e-liquid can not affect your weight loss, as the body does not absorb them.
Side Effects of Vaping/Nicotine on Health
Vaping is indeed less harmful than smoking traditional paper cigarettes, but it is not harmless at all. It helps get rid of Tar and other toxic chemicals, but it still does contain nicotine and other ultrafine particles that can be penetrated deep into the lungs through vaping. The vape juices contain a chemical called diacetyl, which is linked to serious lung disease, as well as other volatile organic compounds.
Nicotine itself is a highly addictive chemical with numerous serious side effects. Some of the commonly observed side effects that affect weight loss and weight gain are:
- High Blood Pressure.
- Increased heart rate
- Loss of appetite.
- Spike in blood sugar level.
- Fatigue
To avoid potential side effects of nicotine, it is always best to check the amount of nicotine added to vape juices. Frequent and hard-core vapers should try less-nicotine vape juices to control their nicotine intake.