Are There Calories in Vapes
The idea that vaping might contain calories surprises a lot of people. After all, you're inhaling vapour, not eating or drinking. But the truth is, yes—vapes can contain a small number of calories. However, the amount is minimal and doesn’t impact your body in the same way food or drink does.
Where the Calories Come From
The main ingredients in most e-liquids are propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerine (VG), flavourings, and often nicotine. Of these, vegetable glycerine contains a small number of calories. VG is a sugar alcohol derived from plant oils, and it's used in a range of food products. When vaped, it technically carries calories—but not in a way that affects your diet like a snack or drink would.
Nicotine may also have a very slight thermogenic effect, meaning it can increase your metabolism a little, but it doesn’t contribute calories on its own. Flavourings don’t add significant calories either, since the quantities used are tiny.
Can Vaping Make You Gain Weight?
In practical terms, vaping is not going to lead to weight gain due to calories. The amount of VG you inhale even during regular vaping is small, and most of it is expelled when you exhale. Unlike eating or drinking, the vapour doesn’t go through your digestive system. That means your body doesn’t absorb it the way it would with food, so the calories aren’t processed the same way.
If anything, many people find that switching to vaping from smoking helps them manage their weight better, as vaping can sometimes help curb the urge to snack or eat when bored or stressed.
Vaping and Diets
If you're on a calorie-restricted diet or trying to track your intake closely, the calories in vape juice aren't something you need to worry about. The numbers are so low they wouldn't even register in most calorie-tracking apps. There's more sugar in a stick of gum than you'd absorb from vaping an entire tank of e-liquid.
That said, if you’re using sweet or dessert-flavoured e-liquids, it’s natural to wonder if there’s a sugar hit involved. Rest assured, those flavours don’t contain sugar in the traditional sense. They’re synthetic or naturally derived flavourings designed to mimic tastes without adding sugar or significant energy content.
How Many Calories Are in Vape Juice?
If you're after specifics, a millilitre of vape juice that’s high in vegetable glycerine might contain roughly 4 to 5 calories. But remember, that’s the potential energy content if consumed as a food product. When inhaled, the body doesn’t absorb it in the same way, so the actual caloric intake is likely close to zero.
Do Flavoured Vapes Contain More Calories?
Flavours like custard, donut, or fruit punch might taste sweet and indulgent, but they don’t contain sugar or added calorific ingredients. The flavouring compounds used are extremely low in volume and are not metabolised like food. So whether you’re vaping tobacco, mint, or birthday cake, the difference in calorie content is negligible.
Does Vaping Break a Fast?
This is a big question for people practising intermittent fasting. Technically, anything that stimulates insulin or digestion could break a fast. However, because the body doesn’t process vapour through the digestive system, and the calorie content is extremely low, most people consider vaping to be “fasting safe.” That said, some strict fasting regimens may recommend avoiding it, especially if the vape contains sweet flavourings.
Does the Body Metabolise Inhaled VG?
Unlike ingestion, inhalation means the vapour enters the lungs and is absorbed into the bloodstream through pulmonary exchange, not the stomach. While trace amounts of VG may be absorbed, the metabolic impact is minimal and doesn’t trigger the same energy storage or insulin response that happens when eating.
Is Vaping Better Than Sugary Snacks?
Many people turn to vaping as a substitute for snacking—especially when quitting smoking. In this case, vaping could actually help reduce overall calorie intake by satisfying oral cravings without food. For some, a vape break replaces a biscuit or fizzy drink, making it a potentially helpful tool for weight management.
Final Thoughts
Vapes do contain a trace amount of calories, mainly from vegetable glycerine, but it’s not enough to affect your weight or interfere with your diet. Vaping won’t feed your body like food or drink would, and the vapour doesn't go through your digestive system. So while the idea of calories in vapour might sound strange, it’s nothing to lose sleep over.