Complicated Calories

Research has shown that what we thought we knew about calories is actually a lot more complicated because our bodies' digestive process is quite involved.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Calorie counts posted on food labels can range widely from the calories you extract

• Vegetables can vary in how easily digestible they are

• Cooking plays a key role as it breaks down the cells in these vegetables 

• Research has found that peanuts, pistachios, and almonds are not digested as much as foods with similar levels of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats 

• Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins require different amounts of energy to digest 

• Heat accelerates the unraveling of the amino acids in proteins
 and they become more easy to digest

• We expend less calories digesting processed foods

• Gut bacteria, which differs from one person to another, plays a part in our digestion

• Our modern diet reduces the bacteria in our stomach

• Whole foods provide us with more vitamins and nutrients, which keep our intestinal (gut) bacteria happy

Even if the way calories were counted was revised it would still be nearly impossible to know exactly the amount of calories in each item we consume due to complex interactions between food and the human body.  Instead, if you are trying to eat healthier it would be best to eat a diet with less processed foods, and more whole and raw foods.

Dunn, R., (2013). The food issue, everything you know about calories is wrong. Scientific American, (pp.58-59,).