Different faces of calories

• April 25, 2024

Calories , this word has been used for decades. However, most people do not know what it means. When asked, most relate it to diets. Although this is a correct answer, it does not reflect the full meaning. Calories are more than a word linked to weight loss.

A calorie It is a unit of measurement used to measure the energy obtained by the food that our body uses as fuel. When there is an excess of calories and they are not burned, they are stored as fat in the body. There are different types of calories and also different ways to obtain them.

The main types include: Carbohydrates , fats Y proteins . All are transformed when used by the body and converted into energy.

The dreaded carbohydrates

The carbohydrates They are probably the most common type of calories. They contain 3.75 kilocalories / gram. They are found in foods that are rich in starch and sugar. Most are obtained from fruits and grains. Legumes such as lentils, beans and peas are also rich in carbohydrates.

On the other hand, dairy products are the only foods of animal origin that contain carbohydrates. These are divided into simple and complex.

The carbohydrates Simple are basically sugars, like glucose, fructose and sucrose. The first two come from fruits and some vegetables. Another type is dairy, like milk. The last one is sucrose, which comes from sugar cane.

The sugar used daily is pure sucrose. Many simple carbohydrates that are eaten are sugars mixed with processed foods such as cookies and soda. These are the main reason why sugar makes up 16% of the total calories consumed by Americans today.

Complex carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are chains of simple carbohydrates , which primarily consist of starches and fiber, which are found in all foods derived from plants.

However, they store carbohydrates in the form of starch. Foods with a large amount of complex carbohydrates are grains and products derived from them such as bread and pasta. Additionally, potatoes, beans and corn, among others, are high in complex carbohydrates.

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