How Many Calories Are in a Vape? Learn the Facts

If you're curious about whether vaping adds calories to your diet, you're not alone. Many people wonder if the sweet flavours in vape juices contribute to their daily calorie intake. Let's dive into the details and explore the caloric content of vapes, how it might affect your weight, and answer some common questions.

What Are the Calories in Vape Liquids?

Understanding Vape Liquid Ingredients

Vape liquids, also known as e-liquids or vape juice, typically contain a few core ingredients: propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), nicotine, and flavourings. PG and VG are the main components that contribute to the calorie content. Both PG and VG contain about 4 calories per gram. However, flavourings and nicotine do not significantly add to the caloric content​​.

How Many Calories Does a Vape Contain?

On average, vape juice contains approximately 5 calories per milliliter. For example, a standard 30ml bottle of e-liquid would have around 150 calories. This amount is relatively small compared to everyday foods and beverages. For perspective, a can of soda contains about the same number of calories​​.

Caloric Absorption and Vaping

Theories on Calorie Absorption

There are two primary theories about how calories in vape juice might be absorbed:

1. Negligible Absorption: Some experts argue that most calories in vape juice are exhaled rather than absorbed, meaning they have minimal impact on your caloric intake.
2. Minimal Absorption: Others suggest that a small percentage of vape juice calories might be absorbed through the throat and mouth lining. Estimates range from 2% to 10%, meaning you might absorb around 7.5 to 15 calories from a 30ml bottle​​.

Do Vaping Calories Affect Your Weight?

Given the minimal number of calories involved, vaping is unlikely to impact your weight significantly. Even heavy vapers consuming multiple milliliters daily are only taking in about 20-30 calories, which is not enough to cause weight gain or loss. The primary ingredients, VG and PG, provide such a small caloric amount that they are virtually negligible in the context of a typical diet​​.

Vaping and Weight Management

Nicotine's Role in Metabolism

Nicotine, a common component in many vape juices, can influence metabolism and appetite. It acts as a stimulant, increasing metabolic rate and suppressing appetite. This effect can potentially lead to slight weight loss for some users. However, this impact is generally modest and varies from person to person​​.

Comparing Vape Calories to Common Foods

To understand the impact of disposable vape calories, it's helpful to compare them to common foods. An entire 30ml bottle of vape juice, with about 150 calories, is roughly equivalent to a single can of soda or a medium apple. Since vape juice consumption is spread out over several days or even weeks, the caloric impact is trivial​​.

FAQs About Vaping and Calories

Q: How many calories are in a single puff of a vape?

A: A single puff of vape juice typically contains about 0.05 calories, considering there are approximately 100 puffs per milliliter and 5 calories per milliliter​​.

Q: Can vaping make you gain weight?

A: Vaping itself does not contribute significantly to weight gain due to its negligible caloric content. However, changes in appetite and eating habits after quitting smoking or reducing nicotine intake might indirectly affect weight​​.

Q: Do all vape juices have the same calorie content?

A: While the caloric content from VG and PG is consistent, the presence of sugar-based sweeteners in some e-liquids can slightly increase the calories. However, these variations are generally minimal and not significant enough to impact overall caloric intake​​.

Q: Does nicotine affect your weight?

A: Nicotine can increase metabolism and suppress appetite, potentially leading to slight weight loss. However, this effect varies and is generally modest​​.

Conclusion

While vape juices do contain calories, the amount is so small that it is unlikely to impact your diet or weight. Most of the calories come from VG and PG, and even the sweet flavours don’t add much. So, if you're watching your calorie intake, vaping is not something you need to worry about. Stay informed and enjoy your vape responsibly!