Some people think that vaping makes you gain weight, but is it true?
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Some vapers report that they gain weight when they start to vape. But can vaping actually cause weight gain? Let’s take a look at what’s in e-liquid and what effects it has on appetite and weight.
What’s In E-liquid?
E-liquid contains Propylene Glycol, Vegetable Glycerine, nicotine and flavouring. Let’s take a look at what each of these does.
PG – PG is responsible for carrying the flavour and replicating the throat hit experienced by smokers. Liquid that is high in PG is thinner and a good choice for new vapers that are quitting smoking. It’s not suitable for higher power devices, as it might cause leaking in low resistance coils.
VG – VG is what creates the vapour. Higher VG liquids are thicker and excel when used in high powered kits. When used in sub-ohm coils, high VG juice creates large clouds of vapour. Thicker liquids aren’t suitable for low power devices as the coils can burn out due to not absorbing the e-liquid fast enough.
Nicotine – Nicotine is a stimulant, much like caffeine, and is the main reason that most people vape. Vaping is one of the most effective methods of nicotine replacement.
Flavourings – This one is pretty self-explanatory, it’s what gives the liquid its flavour.
Other ingredients – Some e-liquids contain colours and sweeteners to add to the aesthetic or taste of the liquid. While these aren’t harmful to the vaper, they can impact the lifespan of your coil.
Banned Ingredients – E-liquid for sale in the UK conforms to the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (TRPR). This means that dangerous ingredients such as vitamin E acetate and diacetyl won’t be in your juice. Vitamin E acetate was the main cause of the vaping blamed deaths in the US, and diacetyl is a substance linked to popcorn lung.
Nicotine & Appetite
In high amounts, nicotine suppresses appetite and speeds up metabolism. Smoking also increases your heart rate and impacts insulin production. That’s why smokers will often notice some weight loss. Vaping can still affect appetite if you’re a user of high strength e-liquid such as bar salt or nic salt. But, that’s only if you’re vaping a lot.
Stopping smoking also allows your taste buds to recover, so you might find that you’re eating more because you’re enjoying food again.
Does E-liquid Contain Calories?
It does, but it’s in such small amounts that you burn it off just by moving around through the day. There are around 30-50 calories in a bottle of juice, which isn’t much at all. This accounts for around 2.5% of your recommended daily intake and that’s if you drank it. This shouldn’t need to be said, but DON’T DRINK E-LIQUID!
So in conclusion, will vaping make you gain weight? Yes, switching to vaping may cause you to put on a few pounds. But that’s not because of any calories in the e-liquid. It’s because you’re getting your appetite back that was suppressed when you were smoking. You’re also going to be enjoying the taste of food again, which can cause you to eat more. Just remember that all things in life should be taken in moderation, as long as you don’t go crazy then you’ll be fine.
