With vaping’s rise in popularity comes key questions like how many calories are in a vape. While e-juice contains trace calories, debate continues whether inhaling vapor actually absorbs them.
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Do vapes have calories?
The short answer is yes, vapes do contain calories. However, the amount is extremely small and likely negligible in terms of your overall caloric intake and potential weight gain.
What’s in Vape Juice?
Vape juice, also called e-liquid or e-juice, is primarily composed of three main ingredients:
- Vegetable glycerin (VG) – A thick, sweet liquid made from vegetable oils. It produces more vapor when vaped.
- Propylene glycol (PG) – A thin, slightly sweet petroleum-based liquid that provides a better “throat hit.”
- Flavorings – Food-grade flavor extracts for taste. Usually zero calories.
Both VG and PG contain calories:
- Vegetable glycerin: ~4 calories per gram
- Propylene glycol: ~4 calories per gram
So the total calories in a bottle of vape juice come mainly from the VG and PG. Brands that use more VG will typically have more calories than higher PG blends.
Estimating Calories in Vape Juice
Based on the caloric density of the main ingredients, we can estimate how many calories are in vape juice:
- 1 ml of vape juice = ~5 calories
- 1 gram of vape juice = ~4 calories
Many experts estimate around 5 calories per 1 ml of e-liquid.
That means a standard 30ml vape juice bottle contains about 150 calories total.
A lower bound estimate is 4 calories per 1 ml, which would be 120 calories per 30ml bottle.
For reference, a 12 oz can of Coke contains 140 calories, so a bottle of vape juice is in the same ballpark calorie-wise.
Calories Per Puff
We can break the estimates down even further to determine how many calories are in a single vape puff:
- Each ml = approx. 100 puffs
- Each ml = 5 calories
- So each puff = 0.05 calories
Yes, that’s 5 one hundredths of a calorie per puff! Extremely negligible in the grand scheme of your diet and caloric expenditure.
You’d need 1,000 puffs just to consume 50 calories. So calories per puff should not be a concern.
Can You Absorb Vape Juice Calories?
Here is where things get complicated. While vape juice clearly contains calories based on its ingredients, whether those calories can actually be absorbed through inhalation remains up for debate.
There are two main schools of thought:
Theory #1: Calories Cannot Be Absorbed via Inhalation
Since you do not actually ingest vape juice, some argue your body cannot absorb any meaningful amount of calories through vaping alone. Unlike eating food or drinking liquids, which deposit calories directly into your digestive system.
Supporters of this theory claim that nearly 100% of vape juice calories are exhaled back out, similar to inhaling air. So vaping should have an negligible impact on your caloric intake or weight.
Theory #2: A Small Percentage of Calories Are Absorbed
Other evidence suggests that some small portion of vape juice likely gets absorbed into the body as you vape. Tiny droplets of e-liquid may make contact with your throat and mouth lining as you inhale. Those minute quantities could potentially contribute calories.
One estimate is that between 2-10% of vape juice calories may actually transfer.
So if we assume 5% absorption, vaping a 30ml bottle would equate to consuming around 7.5 to 15 calories total. Still a trivial amount calorie-wise. Even with 10% absorption, that’s just 15 calories total.
Vaping & Weight Loss/Gain
Due to the negligible caloric intake from vaping, there is no evidence it causes weight gain or obesity side effects directly.
Conversely, there’s also no evidence vaping leads to weight loss either.
However, for smokers transitioning to vaping, indirect impacts on metabolism and eating habits could lead to slight weight fluctuations:
Potential causes of weight loss after switching to vaping:
- Decreased appetite due to nicotine intake
- Lower metabolic functionality from quitting smoking
- Eating less due to former smoke breaks
Potential causes of weight gain after switching to vaping:
- Increased appetite and cravings as nicotine stabilizes
- Less distraction from food cravings
- Boredom and wanting something oral
Overall these changes tend to be modest but can vary greatly person to person.
Vape Calorie Comparison Chart
| Product | Total Calories |
|---|---|
| 30ml vape juice | ~150 calories |
| 12 fl oz Coke | 140 calories |
| Medium apple | 95 calories |
| Slice wheat toast | 70 calories |
As shown, an entire bottle of vape juice equates to less calories than many single food items we consume. Even assuming higher absorption rates of calories by vaping, the totals remain negligible.
The Bottom Line
While there are trace amounts of calories in vape juice from its main components, the actual quantity absorbed by vaping remains unknown. Estimates range from 0-15 calories absorbed from a typical 30ml bottle.
These minute calorie totals should not impact weight or diet goals substantially. Nor does vaping appear inherently linked as a cause of weight gain based on current research.
As always, staying active and maintaining balanced nutrition remain far more vital for managing weight. But if you enjoy vaping, you can put worries of excess caloric intake safely aside.
FAQS
Can you gain calories from vaping?
No, there is no evidence that you can gain a significant amount of calories from vaping. While vape juice does contain trace calories from vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol, scientists debate whether those calories can actually be absorbed by inhaling vapor into your lungs. At most, it’s estimated only 2-10% of vape juice calories may transfer over from vaping. So for a 30ml bottle with 150 calories total, you might absorb just 7.5-15 calories by vaping the entire thing. Such a small amount is negligible and should not cause weight gain.
How many calories are in a puff of vape?
Estimates suggest each 1ml of vape juice contains around 5 calories total. With approximately 100 puffs per ml, that equals ~0.05 calories absorbed per puff. So each inhale contributes just a hundredth of a calorie – an extremely tiny amount that won’t add up over time.
Is vaping okay for weight loss?
Vaping itself does not lead to weight loss, since it does not burn a significant number of calories. However, some report losing weight after switching from smoking to vaping. Potential reasons may include decreased appetite from nicotine intake, lower metabolic rates, or eating less due to loss of smoke breaks. But vaping should not be viewed as a weight loss solution. Proper nutrition and exercise remain vastly more important for managing weight.
How many calories are in a vape per hit?
Again, it’s estimated at 0.05 calories absorbed per vape puff (or “hit”). So one hit would contribute just a hundredth of a single calorie. Over the course of vaping a whole cartridge or pod, you still likely won’t reach even 1 full calorie absorbed. So calories per hit are negligible regarding any weight gain risk.
