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Medical Forum / General / Nutrition / January 2007calories we consume
I have a question. It may be silly, but i don't know. If I eat or drink something that is 100 calories, does my body absorb all 100 calories? >I have a question. It may be silly, but i don't know. > >If I eat or drink something that is 100 calories, does my body absorb >all 100 calories? It is not a silly question. A calorie is the measure of the energy content in a food. However not all of each food we eat has its energy available for us to use. Some parts of food can not be digested in the small gut and pass into the large gut. There billions of bacteria use it for their energy source and some of it is converted into energy sources we can use. In the process some energy is lost to make the conversion possible. Even then not all is used even by that method and what is left of a food is passed from the gut. You might have examined the excrement of a horse. Often there are for example whole grains that passed through the animal because digestion and the bacteria could not convert it because of the external hard shell of grains. In humans if we eat the stem of a fruit or its seeds this is also likely to be the case. They contain energy measured in calories but can not be converted. In general the more a food is broken into smaller pieces by grinding and chewing etc. and or broken down by heat in cooking more of the energy will be available. Still the bran of grains and other such structural parts of foods are handled as discussed above and the bacteria can convert some but not all parts. The specific answer to your question is that it depends on which food and how treated in preperation to eat. >>I have a question. It may be silly, but i don't know. >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > some of it is converted into energy sources we can use. In the process > some energy is lost to make the conversion possible. Isn't that already taken into account when they determine the caloric value of a food? > Even then not all is used even by that method and what is left of a food > is passed from the gut. You might have examined the excrement of a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > fruit or its seeds this is also likely to be the case. They contain > energy measured in calories but can not be converted. True. Think of flax seed, for instance. > In general the more a food is broken into smaller pieces by grinding and > chewing etc. and or broken down by heat in cooking more of the energy > will be available. And "readily available",I would say... think of the glycemic index of refined "powder like" carbs. > Still the bran of grains and other such structural > parts of foods are handled as discussed above and the bacteria can > convert some but not all parts. > > The specific answer to your question is that it depends on which food > and how treated in preperation to eat. Ok. But, apart from all that, will all the energy in *digested* foods be really *absorbed* and avaible?  SignatureEnrico C My new email address: http://www.x-privat.org/sigmail/sig-5ace6.png >>I have a question. It may be silly, but i don't know. >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > some of it is converted into energy sources we can use. In the process > some energy is lost to make the conversion possible. Isn't that already taken into account when they determine the caloric value of a food? > Even then not all is used even by that method and what is left of a food > is passed from the gut. You might have examined the excrement of a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > fruit or its seeds this is also likely to be the case. They contain > energy measured in calories but can not be converted. True. Think of flax seed, for instance. > In general the more a food is broken into smaller pieces by grinding and > chewing etc. and or broken down by heat in cooking more of the energy > will be available. And "readily available",I would say... think of the glycemic index of "powder like" refined carbs. > Still the bran of grains and other such structural > parts of foods are handled as discussed above and the bacteria can > convert some but not all parts. > > The specific answer to your question is that it depends on which food > and how treated in preperation to eat. Ok. But, apart from all that, will all the energy in *digested* foods be really *absorbed* and avaible? > A calorie is the measure of the energy content in a food. However not > all of each food we eat has its energy available for us to use. Some > parts of food can not be digested in the small gut and pass into the > large gut. There billions of bacteria use it for their energy source and > some of it is converted into energy sources we can use. In the process > some energy is lost to make the conversion possible. "Isn't that already taken into account when they determine the caloric value of a food?" The usual method is to burn a food and measure calories as unit of energy by how much it increases a measure of water. Whole grains for example will burn but not be digested easily and even when broken down not all parts of grain will be digested as discussed before. The energy, or calories, in those parts of foods pass from the gut. > The specific answer to your question is that it depends on which food > and how treated in preperation to eat. "Ok. But, apart from all that, will all the energy in *digested* foods be really *absorbed* and avaible?" In the absolute sense no, some contents of food are metabolized into substances which in time pass from the bladder or gut because the body doesn't use them or they are in excess of current needs and the energy they contain is lost. > I have a question. It may be silly, but i don't know. > > If I eat or drink something that is 100 calories, does my body absorb > all 100 calories? YES >> I have a question. It may be silly, but i don't know. >> >> If I eat or drink something that is 100 calories, does my body absorb >> all 100 calories? > >YES So nothing in the feces? jack >>> I have a question. It may be silly, but i don't know. >>> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >So nothing in the feces? jack Just some thoughts on this, anyone know of energy studies of feces with different diets? There must be condiderable energy just in the protein from bacterial and epithelial cells sloughed from the gut wall. Then has anyone looked at feces through a microscope? There is often considerable amounts of muscle fibres present. Then there must be a considerable amount of unchewed grains, pulses, seeds, and nuts that were not chewed well. Seems that if we are doing energy balances, this is an important source of energy transaction. jack > >> I have a question. It may be silly, but i don't know. > >> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > So nothing in the feces? jack So, you are saying that you are a Moron, Jack? YES! It appears that I am the only person this ng that knows what he talking about. :) >So, you are saying that you are a Moron, Jack? Are you for real? I've just added a few more to my kill filter. I wonder if you should be one of them or perhaps you have something worthwhile to add? jack >I have a question. It may be silly, but i don't know. > >If I eat or drink something that is 100 calories, does my body absorb >all 100 calories? Pretty much. Simple sugars and refined fats (separated from the foods they originally come with) will almost all be absorbed. Some whole fruits, nuts and other seeds may partially go straight through the system into the bowl, as will some carbs and protein that is grabbed by excreted bacteria in the feces will also go to waste. If small portions are eaten, and chewed well, most calories will be absorbed, and the more you eat and the less you chew, the more that goes to waste. I guess transit time thropugh the gut plays a role here. jack |
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