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Carbs are NOT "empty calories", there is no such thing.
by c1u 14y ago
Carbs are NOT "empty calories", there is no such thing.
- maxerickson 14y agoThe traditional definition of empty calories would be something like a spoonful of sugar. That's an extreme example, but the idea is that the food in question provides calories without nutrients. So there is such a thing and it makes plenty of sense. (USDA takes my side: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/weight-management-calories/calories/empty-calories.html http://www.choosemyplate.gov/weight-management-calories/calo...)
- c1u 14y ago"calories without nutrients" does not makes sense at all. A spoonful of sugar contains 100% nutrients. That link is total nonsense. For example it claims pizza is empty calories, but bread, cheese, tomatoes, meat & veggies are not? It's ridiculous.
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]
- maxerickson 14y agoYeah, sorry, a better phrase would be "energy calories without any other nutrients". Which I thought was implied. But I forget that imprecise communication works less and less.
- a_c_s 14y agoNo, a spoonful of refined white sugar contains 100% calories. It does not contain any minerals, vitamins, protein, essential fatty acids, micronutrients or antioxidants, which in the context of this discussion, is what is meant by saying it has no nutrients.
- c1u 14y agoThere are only 4 macronutrients (foods metabolism can run on): carbs, fat, protein, & ethanol. So if you believe protein & fat are nutrients, then you must believe carbs are as well.
- enraged_camel 14y agoI must say, you have taken childish pedantry to a whole new level.
- BlackJack 14y agoEven at a basic level, that's not true. Despite popular myth, the body can derive 1.5/2 cal/g of fiber as well. > While there is still some debate in the area, researchers have assigned a caloric value to fiber of 1.5-2 cal/gram (depending on the specific type). Source: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/fiber-its-natures-broom.html http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/fiber-its-natures...
- c1u 14y agoAh yes, but then those are fat calories, not "fibre" calories.
- Dylan16807 14y ago'Macronutrients' are not diet 'nutrients'. Nutrients are chemicals the body needs an external supply of. Building blocks for cells and structures. They have nothing to do with metabolism.
- TomGullen 14y agoI don't need carbs to be alive, be healthy and be energetic. The nutrition they give me is pretty much nill relative to other food groups such as fat and protein.
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]
- unreal37 14y agoI think the poster is referring to them as empty calories in the sense that they provide no nutritional value. They get processed into blood sugar very quickly but do not provide the body anything essential.