Does vaping make you lose weight?

Vaping has become an incredibly popular habit. With sleek, high-tech devices and a myriad of e-juice flavors to choose from, it's easy to see why vaping has appealed to so many people.

Does vaping make you lose weight? How does nicotine induce weight loss? Moreover, is it safe to use vaping as a method of losing weight?

If you're currently dieting or you're concerned about losing weight then you're probably looking for any answer to this very question.

In this post, we aim to explore the potential connection between vaping and weight loss, finding the science-backed answers to these questions.

What is vaping?

Available in many shapes and sizes, Vapes or e-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that are used to heat a liquid to produce a vapour, which is then inhaled – mimicking the act of smoking.

The e-liquids, a.k.a vape juice, contain chemicals and artificial flavours that can have varying degrees of nicotine levels.

vapes are mostly used to vape nicotine e-liquid solutions. Devices can also be used to inhale other drugs such as THC (cannabis) or nicotine-free ‘e-liquids' .

What Ingredients are in Vapes?

Generally speaking, vapes are made up from several ingredients including nicotine.

These ingredients contain virtually no calories, so vaping itself does not add weight to the body.

Nicotine

Nicotine is a highly addictive stimulant found in tobacco and vaping devices. It is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream.

Vegetable Glycerin

Vegetable Glycerin (or glycerine) typically appears on packaging as ‘VG'. This product is a sweet-tasting, odourless, colourless liquid extracted from plants and is responsible for the clouds that vaporise from your device.

VG is a food-grade liquid and is frequently used as a thickening agent in all sorts of food-safe products, from foods and toothpaste to medication.

Propylene Glycol

Propylene Glycol (or PG for short) is a clear, mostly odourless liquid which acts as a carrier for nicotine and any flavourings.

Given PG is also a food-grade substance, this too can be found in a wide range of familiar food-grade safe products like liquid sweeteners, ice cream and even artificial tears!

Flavourings

Food-grade flavourings are added to vape liquid to give the juice its signature flavour. This is another food-safe product that's found in all kinds of food products.

What are the impacts of vaping on your health?

The chemicals from the tobacco combustion are also known causes of a myriad other diseases and conditions, which is the reason medical experts warn against cigarette smoking.

Most smokers want to quit, but nicotine is a tricky customer to drop once you become hooked. For those quitting cigarettes, vaping can be a way to ease out of this habit.

The good thing with vaping is that it doesn't involve tobacco combustion, the process that results in the release of harmful compounds associated with conventional cigarettes. So there are less lung damage and more safe.

However, there's no denying that the chemicals in vape juices plus the nicotine content aren't the best for your overall health and well-being.

Research from the University of North Carolina found that propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin are toxic to the body's cells and other harmful chemicals can cause lung disease and cardiovascular disease.

Nicotine is also a harmful and very addictive chemical that not only causes addictive behaviours and withdrawal symptoms but can increase blood pressure, heart rate and flow of blood to the heart.

Does vaping cause weight loss?

Weight loss is a complex process influenced by various factors, including individual metabolism, diet, physical activity, and overall lifestyle.

Smokers tend to weigh less than non-smokers: it's a scientifically confirmed fact.

So, how does vaping work to manage weight? It's all down to the effects of nicotine.

1. Nicotine acts as a stimulant, influences hormones like dopamine and norepinephrine, which raises your metabolic rate, speeding up how quickly you burn calories.

2. Nicotine is an appetite suppressant, inhibiting the body's expectation of food, reducing feelings of hunger.

That's because nicotine is suggested to enhance the effects of leptin, the hormone that makes you full.

Additionally, nicotine can impair your taste buds and dull your senses, making food seem less appetizing and ultimately decreasing food intake.

3. Vaping is a way of giving oneself a "treat." People LIKE treats. If they don't vape and they want a treat they might eat a chocolate instead.

The rewarding effects of food are essentially replaced by the rewarding effects of vaping. So the ritual of vaping can lower your food intake and help to lower your body weight.

4. Nicotine suppresses the insulin levels in the blood, increasing the blood sugar levels. This means energy is readily available in the blood, to deliver where needed.

5. Nicotine activates sympathetic nervous system leading to increased lipolysis in white adipose tissue, which contributes to weight loss.

Is weight gain after quitting smoking common?

It is estimated that people who quit vaping can gain up to 10kg within 12 months after smoking cessation—and sometimes more.

In fact, vaping just to lose weight and quitting once you reach your goal could actually cause weight gain. This occurs for five reasons:

1. Nicotine increase metabolic rate. Cutting out nicotine will reduce these metabolic spikes, slowing the body's fat burning rate.

2. Nicotine acts to suppress appetite. losing the appetite suppressant effects of vaping can result in an increase in food intake.

After eliminating nicotine, your taste buds will return to their natural state. With the ability to enjoy flavors better, you might be tempted to eat more!

3. Ex-smokers tend to react to cravings and other pressures by eating. This might increase their caloric intake, eventually increasing their weight.

4. Cutting out nicotine will let the insulin levels normalise, reducing the energy freely available in the blood, which may lead to higher caloric consumption to make up for it.

5. The cognitive effects of nicotine withdrawal can affect a lot of brain functions including mood regulation and dopamine release.

As consuming junk food can lead to dopamine release, it is often used as a way of self-comforting.

Can I lose weight by smoking weed THC/CBD?

Vaping doesn't have to always be a nicotine-based experience. There are many Vape products that make use of CBD or THC.

CBD stands for cannabidiol, and THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, both of which are substances found in cannabis plants.

We must consider the way that cannabis vapes affect weight gain. The situation is a bit different when we look at vaping products made up of hemp and cannabis instead of tobacco.

THC is in fact an appetite-stimulant. It is a fact that people who use vapes with THC vape will experience an increase in appetite. This could be beneficial for those looking to gain weight instead of losing it.

CBD could help convert white fat into brown fat, which helps burn calories. Plus, unlike THC, CBD could be actually blocking certain receptors that cause the sensation of hunger, In other words, reduce appetite.

What's the safest way to approach weight loss?

Since vaping isn't a safe way to achieve weight loss and can cause harmful effects on your health, let's take a look at the best way to approach weight loss.

A healthy diet and a regular exercise routine are two of the most important choices you can make to help you lose weight and keep it off.

One way you can lower your calorie intake is by eating more plant-based foods — fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Strive for variety to help you achieve your goals without giving up taste or nutrition.

Plus, regular physical activity plus calorie restriction can help give you the weight-loss edge. Exercise can help burn off the excess calories you can't cut through diet alone.

Sugar-free gum is a healthier and less costly alternative to get a similar appetite suppression effect without smoking. Chewing gum can help reduce feelings of hunger or cravings, which may benefit weight management. Some people even use it to reduce their desire or cravings for sugary snacks.

Conclusion

Nicotine suppresses appetite, increases metabolism, and can reduce food cravings. This can help you with weight control.

However, nicotine effects are too short lived and you basically need to become an addict for such effects to be relevant.

Vaping can still cause a host of health issues, can be highly addictive, and in certain instances, can deliver even higher doses of nicotine than regular cigarettes.

Obviously, it is absolutelly not worth it to be addicted to nicotine in order to lose weight. If you are a non-smoker, it's not recommended to consider vaping as a means of weight reduction.

Vaping can help you phase out smoking and eventually quit the habit. In this case, you might try vaping as a short-term strategy for smoking cessation but not as a weight loss method.

Turning to unhealthy addictions in the hopes of controlling weight can create long-term health issues that counteract the benefits of weight loss.

It's always recommended to pursue healthy and balanced methods such as a nutritious diet and regular exercise for sustainable weight loss.