3 ms·
We are calorimeters. 300 calories of raw carrots is by definition the amount of carrots we would have to eat in order to extract 300 calories of energy from the
by zurn 16y ago
We are calorimeters. 300 calories of raw carrots is by definition the amount of carrots we would have to eat in order to extract 300 calories of energy from them.
(but Taubes is right about the fallacy of the calorie
counting-obesity connection).
- tomkarlo 16y agoI'm pretty sure the way calories are measured is using a calorimeter. There's no correction for the ability of our body to absorb calories from a particular food, because 1) it would be really subjective and controversial and 2) the junk food industry would go bonkers over it. Here's how the FDA site defines it: Calories — on the Nutrition Facts label are the measure (amount) of energy in a serving of food. For example, there are about 110 calories in 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) of orange juice. Note that they describe it as the "energy in a serving"... not the "energy absorbed from a serving." The measure is independent of our body's ability to extract that energy, which can vary wildly.