A calories is a calories, at least from a thermodynamic standpoint. The amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius is called the amount of energy needed.
Not all calories are equal when it comes to health and energy balance.
Some studies have shown that a diet with high-protein, low-carbohydrate, or a combination of the two do yield greater weight loss than a diet with other levels of fat.
You wouldn't expect to see weight-loss differences between people who eat the same number of calories as they do in different types of food.
I know that there are many factors that affect calories in your body. We don't know much about calories and nutrition.
Your body has energy available to it.
W.O. Atwater and his colleagues created a system to figure out how much energy a food has. He burned up food samples and recorded how much heat they released.
Some of the energy in food that can be used in the lab is not available to your body. The metabolizable energy is the difference between the total energy of the food and the energy that is not absorbed by the body.
The percentage of calories that would be metabolizable for each of the three macronutrients was devised by Atwood.
uchholz and Schoeller, Am. J. Clin. There is a new edition of the Nutr.
The number of calories provided by one gram of each macronutrient is estimated by the Atwater system. The US Department of Agriculture uses these calculations to come up with an official number for food calories.
How much energy do you use?
Scientists call your body's energy expenditure because of what you eat. That's how much energy it takes to keep you alive, along with what you exert moving your body. You might have heard it referred to as metabolism.
Thermic effect of food can affect the body's energy expenditure. In one study, people eating the same number of calories per day but on either a low-fat diet or a low-carbohydrate diet had differences in their total energy expenditure. Those on very low-carb diet used the most energy, while those on low-fat diet used the least.
High-fat diet led to lower total energy expenditure than high-carb diet. The researchers said that people who increased their intake of meat and dairy used more energy than people who didn't.
A diet high in fat and/or sugars can cause an increase in energy expenditure of 4-7%, while a diet high in fat and/or sugars can cause an increase in the resting metabolism of 14-18%. Thermic effect is higher when there is a higher amount ofProtein. The variations could contribute to the epidemic by encouraging a subtle average weight gain.
The calories you eat are of a high quality.
A food's glycemic index and load is what a dietician looks at to determine how much of a boost to your blood sugar levels it will give. A rise in blood sugar leads to the release of the hormone, which in turn affects energy metabolism and storage of excess energy as fat.
White rice, cakes, cookies, and chips are all high on the glycemic index. Green vegetables, raw peppers, mushrooms, and beans are all low on the glycemic index. There is some evidence to suggest that foods that are low on the glycemic index may be better for regulating blood sugar levels.
When people eat high glycemic index/load foods, the reward centers in the brain light up, showing the pleasure and addictive effect of the food.
The fiber content of food is something to consider. Your body can't digest fiber found in plant foods for energy. Foods high in fiber have less metabolizable energy and can help you feel full.
The calories from foods with minimal or no nutrition are also considered. White sugar, soft drinks, and many ultra-processed snacks don't provide much in the way of benefits in the form of vitamins, minerals, or other supplements along with their calories.
The opposite would be foods that are high in calories but low in nutrition. Some examples are apples and beans.
Don't think of empty calories as neutral. They can have a negative effect on health.
Potato chips, potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages, and meats are all processed and unprocessed.
Fruits, nuts, and yogurt are foods that are associated with weight gain.
The most important factor in weight loss is the difference between the number of calories consumed and the number of calories exerted through exercise.
Don't fool yourself. Weight loss alone doesn't equate to health because it doesn't play a role in health and longevity.
Some high-protein diet seem to promote weight loss in the short term. In areas where people live the longest, epidemiologists know that people eat a mostly plant-based diet with low or moderate fat and low or no animal-based cholesterol.
I hear people say things like "I need to go on a low-carb diet" or "It's those carbs that are making me fat"
These complaints drive me nuts.
Carbohydrates include foods like Coca-Cola and candy canes. Reducing the amount of simple sugars like soft drinks, refined-flour bakery items, pasta, and sweets will have a positive impact on health. Vegetables and fruit will have the opposite effect if they are eliminated.
A plant-based diet high in plant-based nutrition, mostly from vegetables, fruit, nuts, and legumes, is the healthiest diet researchers know of for longevity and prevention of chronic diseases.
The modern Western diet is affected by an increase in the quantity of calories consumed with a decrease in the quality of calories consumed.
Researchers now know that calories from different foods have different effects on metabolism.
The quality of calories you consume should be counted more than the number of calories.
Terezie Tolar-Peterson is an Associate Professor at Mississippi State University.
The Conversation's article is a Creative Commons licensed one. The original article can be found here.
