A new year means a new you, right? The time to grow, take on new opportunities and discover a different way to live. A common way to tackle change is by addressing your health. And for many that means taking on a dietary change and looking at counting calories. For vapers, that means understanding the important question of ‘how many calories are in a vape’?
To do that, we need to evaluate the essence of vaping, what it contains that produces liquid into vapour and once in the body and lungs whether that produces calories that should be added to the diet. Read on as this guide explains everything you need to recognise whether it is impacting your weight loss goals.
The Vaping Basics Explained
Vaping is a simple concept but may seem daunting or confusing to a smoker looking to quit cigarettes but not knowing where to turn. Essentially, a battery-powered electronic device heats vape juice added to a vape tank or vape pod which stores the e-liquid. From there, once the device is activated, this heats a vape coil made of metal which acts as the electricity conductor.
Once a button is pressed or the mouthpiece puffed on (one or the other activates a device), the coil will heat the e-liquid and turn it into vapour ready to inhale.
What is the Composition of Vape Juice?
Vape juice usually consists of a combination of the following ingredients:
- Propylene Glycol (PG)
- Vegetable Glycerin (VG)
- Nicotine
- Flavourings
- Water
These mixtures of ingredients make up an e-liquid. You can also find vape juice that does not contain nicotine, which is great for those who are at the final stage of vaping before planning to quit, living a life without cigarettes or vapes.
With PG and VG, these chemicals act as the base for e-liquids and are used in the chemical production of certain foods and pharmaceutical products.
Do Vapes Contain Calories?
Because vapes hold e-liquids which contain the ingredients above which are non-consumable items, this means that they are negligible calorie products. When you vape, you only temporarily inhale the vapour before puffing back out once it reaches your lungs.
When considering the calories in a vape, it is important to understand that calories are typically derived from food consumption, where the body metabolises nutrients. Flavourings and sweeteners themselves are very small amounts of calories and are therefore too low to be considered calorific enough to impact a diet or weight gain.
Both PG and VG can contain calories when ingested, as they are sugar alcohols. But there is no natural sugar in e-liquids – only artificial sweeteners. However, when vaporised, the body absorbs them differently, and the caloric impact is negligible.
With nicotine, this chemical compound does not contain calories but does act as an appetite suppressant. While some smokers treat cigarettes as a method to lose weight, and this is predominantly because of nicotine, found in vapes too, it is not a healthy way to lose weight. Losing weight should be managed by eating a healthy balanced diet, good rest and exercising.
How Many Calories in a Vape Puff?
The act of vaping typically involves inhaling the vapour into the lungs, where it is absorbed into the bloodstream. Unlike eating or drinking, this process does not involve digestion. Therefore, the caloric content from vaping is not comparable to consuming food or beverages.
A single puff of a vape does not deliver a measurable caloric intake. It is estimated that the calories absorbed through vaping are negligible, often considered to be less than 1 calorie per puff (roughly only 0.05 calories).
To put this into perspective, the physical act of vaping a whole disposable vape or 600-puff device still results in a small caloric intake that is virtually nonexistent compared to traditional food and drink consumption.
If you vape frequently but not constantly puffing throughout the day in high excess, a 10ml bottle for instance should contain about 40 calories, spread over a few days of use when refilling the pod or tank.
Common Misconceptions About Vapes and Calories
There are several misconceptions surrounding the caloric content of vaping, often stemming from misunderstandings about its ingredients and the process of vaporisation. It is crucial to address these to prevent those who wish to quit smoking from taking on a different path that may help them quit the addiction to nicotine altogether.
Misconception 1: Vaping Adds Pounds to Body Weight as Food Does
For the record, vaping is not the same as consuming food. The body does not consume the tiny amount of calories found in vaping as it does in food. This is because you do not ingest e-liquid – you vape it. Vapour bypasses the digestive tract and is exhaled back out of the lungs instead. Stick to exercise, and your daily calorie intake which is different based on if you are a man (recommended 2500) or a woman (2000 per day) by eating smaller portions and avoiding things like alcohol.
Misconception 2: Flavored Vapes Add Calories
While flavourings are part of any vape juice, your preferred blue raspberry or watermelon e-liquid barely contributes to calorie intake. They are added in small amounts primarily for taste enhancement, not nutritional value. What you can do to avoid this is pick a flavourless e-liquid instead from a brand like Nyx without sweeteners.
For those who are transitioning from smoking to vaping as part of a cessation strategy, understanding the caloric content might not be as critical as knowing how to use these devices safely and effectively.
Safety Tips When Vaping
- Stick with a respected vape manufacturer through a licensed retailer who specifically lists all of the ingredients in the vape juice. The last thing you will want is harmful additives to the body which can impact your daily routine.
- Keep track of your nicotine levels by buying a vape kit with a puff counter. That way you can manage the amount of nicotine you vape to only inhale what is needed to manage your expectations as a former smoker.
Conclusion
Vaping should be considered as an alternative to smoking as recommended by health professionals in the NHS and from medical charity organisations such as Cancer Research or the British Heart Foundation because it does not contain combustible tobacco.
This should be a key factor for wanting to quit smoking – not being concerned about calorie intake from cigarettes. Remember that cigarettes although acting as a nicotine appetite suppressant also contain roughly a spoonful of sugar.
While the question of "how many calories in a vape" might initially seem mystifying, the truth is that the caloric content from vaping is negligible. Vaping and inhalation do not result in significant caloric intake, making it an unlikely source of calories.