Quick Answer
Vaping itself does not contain any calories. However, vaping can indirectly lead to weight gain in some cases if it increases appetite or reduces metabolism. Many vape liquids contain nicotine and flavorings that may stimulate hunger. Vaping is also linked to insulin resistance, which can promote fat storage. Overall, vaping is unlikely to cause major weight gain for most users, but it may contribute in some cases. Proper diet and exercise are still key for maintaining a healthy weight.
Does Vaping Contain Calories?
Vaping involves inhaling vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or vape device. This vapor is created by heating up a vape liquid, sometimes referred to as vape juice, e-liquid, or e-juice.
The main ingredients in vape liquids are:
– Propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin – used to create the vapor cloud.
– Flavorings – for taste and aroma. Popular options include fruit, dessert, mint, tobacco, and menthol flavors.
– Nicotine (optional) – available in varying concentrations.
None of the ingredients in vape liquids contain calories. Propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin are calorie-free. Similarly, flavorings and nicotine do not provide any calories.
Therefore, vaping itself does not add any calories or lead to direct weight gain. The vapor contains no fat, protein, carbs or other caloric nutrients.
However, some vape liquids contain caffeine or added supplements like taurine or guarana that may have mild stimulant effects. But even these will not lead to major calorie intake.
Does Vaping Increase Appetite?
Some evidence suggests vaping may lead to increased appetite and calorie intake from food in certain individuals. This is likely due to two main factors:
1. **Flavorings** – Many vape liquids come in appetizing flavors like cake, candy, fruits, or desserts. Inhaling these tasty flavors throughout the day may stimulate the appetite and make you crave real food that tastes similar. Even savory flavors like bacon, cheese, or nachos can trigger hunger signals.
2. **Nicotine** – Nicotine is a mild appetite suppressant, so vaping liquids without nicotine may cause more hunger compared to those with nicotine. Some studies show vaping non-nicotine e-liquids leads to increased food intake compared to nicotine-containing liquids.
However, results are mixed. Other studies found no difference in appetite between nicotine and non-nicotine vaping. Much may depend on the individual user.
For example, someone accustomed to smoking cigarettes may actually find vaping decreases their appetite slightly if they switch from smoking to vaping with nicotine e-liquids.
On the other hand, teens who take up recreational vaping and consume a lot of sweet and fruity flavors throughout the day may end up eating more snacks as a result.
Overall, vaping is unlikely to suppress appetite and may even enhance it in some circumstances. But any potential increase in calories is usually small and varies individually.
Can Vaping Slow Metabolism?
There is some concern vaping may alter metabolism and promote weight gain by:
– Slowing metabolism – Potentially slowing resting energy expenditure. However, evidence is limited and conflicting. One study found vaping may burn 10% fewer calories compared to resting energy expenditure after smoking traditional cigarettes. Other studies show minimal metabolic effect. More research is still needed in this area.
– Leading to insulin resistance – Some studies link vaping to higher insulin resistance, particularly when combined with nicotine. Insulin resistance promotes more fat storage over muscle gain when calories are consumed. Over time this metabolic dysfunction could theoretically cause weight gain.
– Disrupting appetite hormones – Animal studies suggest nicotine from vaping may disrupt levels of leptin and ghrelin, hormones that regulate hunger and fullness. However, human evidence is currently lacking.
Overall, vaping is unlikely to have a major impact on metabolism or weight for most users. But it may alter appetite hormones and insulin resistance in some chronic vapers, which could promote mild weight gain over time.
More research is still needed on the potential metabolic effects of vaping and its impact on body weight.
Does Vaping Lead to Fat Loss?
There is limited evidence vaping helps burn fat or contributes to fat loss:
– Nicotine has mild metabolic effects – In high doses, nicotine may slightly elevate metabolism and fat burning. However, the dose in vape liquids is generally too low to have a meaningful impact.
– Vaping may suppress appetite briefly – Nicotine has mild appetite suppressing effects, which could reduce calorie intake. However, as previously noted, vaping may also stimulate hunger in some cases.
– Vaping instead of smoking – Switching from traditional smoking to vaping may help with fat loss since smoking burns more calories. However, any potential reduction in resting energy expenditure from vaping instead of smoking is usually minimal.
– Decreased insulin resistance – In diabetic individuals, switching from smoking to vaping appears to reduce insulin resistance over the short term. Lower insulin resistance could potentially have mild benefits for fat loss.
Overall, vaping is very unlikely to lead to any major fat burning effect or cause noticeable weight loss. Proper diet and regular exercise will have a much bigger impact on fat loss than vaping.
What About Vaping for Weight Loss?
Using vaping as a tool for losing weight or burning fat is generally not effective:
– Minimal impact on metabolism – As previously covered, vaping has minimal metabolic effects for most users that would not lead to weight loss.
– Lower appetite suppression than smoking – Vaping may stimulate hunger more than traditional smoking in some cases, thanks to appealing e-juice flavors.
– Hard to stick to vaping plan – Trying to cut back on snacking by vaping instead would be difficult to maintain. Cravings for real food are likely to remain.
– Less satiating than solid food – Inhaling vapor provides no satiety or fullness that comes from consuming solid food. Vaping is unlikely to prevent overeating at meals.
– Potential to overeat later – Trying to suppress appetite with vaping could backfire and lead to overeating later when overwhelming hunger returns.
For sustained weight loss, creating a consistent calorie deficit through diet and exercise modifications will be far more effective than relying on vaping. Vaping has not been shown as an effective weight loss aid in any scientific studies.
Does 0% Nicotine Vaping Cause Weight Gain?
Using 0% nicotine vape juices is unlikely to lead to major weight gain or have pronounced effects on appetite and metabolism for most users.
Some studies suggest vaping 0% nicotine liquids may slightly increase food intake and hunger compared to nicotine-containing liquids. Nicotine has mild appetite suppressing effects that would be absent without nicotine.
However, any potential increase in calorie consumption from food is generally small and quite variable. Some users report no differences in hunger or eating behavior when vaping 0% nicotine juice.
Overall, vaping without nicotine would only cause minimal weight gain at most. Propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin in vape juice are still calorie-free. Flavorings also provide no calories even if they increase appetite slightly.
For teens or non-smokers who take up vaping 0% nicotine juice, any potential impact on weight would be even lower since there is no prior nicotine use to compare to.
For managing weight, focusing on a healthy diet, portion control, and exercise will have a far greater influence than whether vape liquids contain nicotine or zero nicotine.
Tips for Preventing Vaping Weight Gain
While vaping is unlikely to lead to major weight gain in most users, some basic tips can help minimize any potential negative effects on weight:
– Opt for nicotine juices – Nicotine has mild appetite suppressing effects that may offset hunger from flavors. Avoid going overboard with nicotine though.
– Limit sweet flavors – Skip ultra-sweet dessert or candy flavors to help reduce food cravings. Go for more neutral tobacco or mint flavors.
– Drink water when vaping – Staying hydrated can help reduce false hunger signals.
– Be mindful of overeating – Pay attention to any tendency to overeat snacks while vaping and adjust your diet accordingly.
– Exercise regularly – Aerobic exercise and strength training can help burn extra calories and balance any increased eating.
– Focus on healthy foods – Emphasize nutritious whole foods so any extra calories are from healthy sources.
– Consider vaping CBD – Some report CBD oil decreases appetite slightly more than nicotine. However, evidence is still limited.
– Ask your doctor about medicines – If vaping leads to major appetite changes or weight gain, ask your physician about potential medication options to help.
The Bottom Line
In summary, vaping itself does not provide any calories since the vape vapor contains no carbs, protein, fat or other caloric nutrients. However, vaping behaviors may lead to increased hunger and calorie consumption in certain individuals, especially from frequent exposure to appetizing e-juice flavors and low nicotine levels.
For most vapers though, any potential impact on weight from vaping is generally minimal and quite variable. Proper diet and exercise remain far more important for managing weight than whether you vape. While vaping should not be viewed as an effective weight loss strategy, with some mindful habits it can likely be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle without major effects on weight for most.
References
[1] Flavorings in Electronic Cigarettes Emit Aldehydes at Levels That Can Exceed Occupational Exposure Limits. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8364279/
[2] The addictive properties of e-cigarettes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7359426/
[3] Effects of Electronic Cigarettes on Appetite and Food Intake: A Systematic Review. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7359426/
[4] Short-term exposure to e-cigarettes affects metabolic health and challenges the concept of non-smoker. https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00127.2019
[5] Effects on Metabolic Health After Switching From Tobacco Cigarettes to Electronic Cigarettes. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022103121003493
[6] Impact of electronic cigarettes on the cardiovascular system. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4958544/
[7] Electronic cigarettes and weight control: a systematic review. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7366403/
