Vaping has become increasingly popular as an alternative to smoking, and with that comes curiosity about its effects on our health and lifestyle. One of the more surprising questions people often ask is, “Does vaping have calories?” If you’re conscious of your daily caloric intake, this might have crossed your mind.
In this article, we’ll dive into the details of whether vaping contains calories, how much you could potentially be consuming, and introduce a simple vape calorie calculator to help you understand how your habits affect your daily intake.
What Exactly is Vaping?
Vaping involves using an electronic device to inhale vapor created by heating e-liquids. These e-liquids, or vape juices, are usually made of the following ingredients:
Vegetable Glycerin (VG): A plant-based liquid that gives vapor its thick, cloud-like appearance.
Propylene Glycol (PG): A thinner liquid that helps carry flavor in the vapor.
Nicotine (optional): The addictive component found in cigarettes, though many vapers opt for nicotine-free juices.
Flavorings: Added to create all sorts of tastes, from fruity to dessert-like flavors.
While VG is the only component that has calories (since it’s a form of sugar alcohol), it’s important to know how vaping affects calorie intake.
Do You Absorb Calories While Vaping?
Yes, technically speaking, there are some calories in vaping, but it’s far from significant. Vegetable glycerin (VG) contains about 4.32 calories per gram, which means it’s the only caloric ingredient in most e-liquids. However, you’re inhaling the VG as a vapor rather than consuming it like food or drink.
When you vape, only a fraction of the VG is absorbed into your body, and the amount of calories your body processes is minuscule. The majority of the liquid is exhaled as vapor. In other words, vaping won’t impact your calorie count in a meaningful way.
Understanding Vegetable Glycerin in E-liquids
Let’s say your e-liquid contains 70% VG and you vape around 5 ml per day. Even though VG contains calories, you’re not ingesting it in the same way as a meal, so its effect on your overall caloric intake is tiny.
But for those who want to get precise about it, here’s a calculator to help you find out just how many calories you might be consuming based on your vaping habits.
Vape Calorie Calculator: Estimate Your Calorie Intake from Vaping
We've created a simple tool to calculate the calories you might be consuming through vaping. Enter the percentage of VG in your e-liquid and how much you vape daily, and the calculator will estimate your calorie intake.
Vape Calorie Calculator
Use this tool to estimate how many calories you're consuming through vaping. Just enter the percentage of Vegetable Glycerin (VG) in your e-liquid and how much you vape per day in milliliters (ml).
Breaking It Down: A Real-Life Example
Let’s take a common scenario:
- You vape 5 ml of e-liquid per day.
- Your e-liquid is 70% VG.
To calculate the calories:
- 70% of 5 ml is 3.5 ml of VG.
- Each ml of VG contains 4.32 calories, so 3.5 ml × 4.32 = 15.12 calories.
That’s it! Even with a relatively high consumption of e-liquid, the caloric intake is quite low.
Should You Be Concerned About Vaping Calories?
For most people, the small amount of calories from vaping won’t make a difference to their overall diet. Even heavy vapers wouldn’t consume enough calories to significantly impact their weight. However, if you're counting calories very closely or are just curious, using the calculator above can give you a more precise idea.
Conclusion: Calories in Vaping Are Negligible
If you're someone who keeps track of every calorie, you can rest easy knowing that the calories from vaping are minimal. The vegetable glycerin in e-liquids contains calories, but the amount you inhale doesn’t add up to much—typically just a handful of calories per day.
So, while vaping might offer a calorie-free experience in comparison to that slice of cake or sugary soda, your focus should probably lie elsewhere when it comes to managing your diet and health.
Reference :
- PubChem: Information on glycerol (VG) and its use in various products, including its role in e-liquids and its properties.
- FDA GRAS List (Generally Recognized as Safe) – VG is included as a safe food additive, explaining its use in food products and its caloric content.
- FoodData Central – USDA: Provides information on the nutritional value of glycerin, including its caloric content (around 4.32 calories per gram).
