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>A calorie is a calorie is a calorie, or it wouldn't be called a calorie A calorie in the form of serum glucose stimulates insulin secretion, which shifts the

>A calorie is a calorie is a calorie, or it wouldn't be called a calorie A calorie in the form of serum glucose stimulates insulin secretion, which shifts the equilibrium of fatty acid transfer across fat cells walls by increasing the flow into the cell and reducing the flow out. A calorie in the form of serum fatty acids does not stimulate the secretion of insulin. Therefore, all calories are not the same. QED

mberning 16y ago
So if I had identical twins and I fed twin 1 ONLY 500 calores of carbs per day, and I fed twin 2 ONLY 500 calores of protein per day, they are going to have markedly different outcomes? I highly doubt it. I think the big difference between getting your calores from carbs vs fat and protein is that it is exceedingly EASY to consume vast quantities of carbs, whereas consuming the same amount of calories in the form of fat and protein would be much more expensive and satiating.
- count 16y ago
  'A calorie' is a 'A calorie'. Don't confuse macronutrients and their functions on the human body with how much heat they give off when burned. Yes, a calorie is a calorie - a joule is a joule and a newton is a newton. A carbohydrate is NOT a protein and neither of the two are fats. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are different. They even have, conveniently for discussion, different names! Guess what - they also have different uses and impacts on your body. Semantics is important when you're discussing chemistry. I wish people would stop making this stupid argument.
  - whimsy 16y ago
    This is important. In fact, it might be useful to note this definition explicitly. A calorie is unit of heat... not a unit of nutrition. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie You can say there are calories in wood, particularly in the context of combustion (though it's more common to talk about that sort of thing in terms or BTUs or joules).

mberning 16y ago

So if I had identical twins and I fed twin 1 ONLY 500 calores of carbs per day, and I fed twin 2 ONLY 500 calores of protein per day, they are going to have markedly different outcomes? I highly doubt it. I think the big difference between getting your calores from carbs vs fat and protein is that it is exceedingly EASY to consume vast quantities of carbs, whereas consuming the same amount of calories in the form of fat and protein would be much more expensive and satiating.

count 16y ago
'A calorie' is a 'A calorie'. Don't confuse macronutrients and their functions on the human body with how much heat they give off when burned. Yes, a calorie is a calorie - a joule is a joule and a newton is a newton. A carbohydrate is NOT a protein and neither of the two are fats. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are different. They even have, conveniently for discussion, different names! Guess what - they also have different uses and impacts on your body. Semantics is important when you're discussing chemistry. I wish people would stop making this stupid argument.
- whimsy 16y ago
  This is important. In fact, it might be useful to note this definition explicitly. A calorie is unit of heat... not a unit of nutrition. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie You can say there are calories in wood, particularly in the context of combustion (though it's more common to talk about that sort of thing in terms or BTUs or joules).