Are liquid calories the same as the calories you eat?

Question

If so can one be burned off as an equal to the other?

Answer 1

A calorie is a calorie. They are exactly the same.

Answer 2

Although calories are = numerically , evidence shows that the body's metabolism does not break down all substances equally .
Think a fire trying to burn equal amounts of coal and balsa wood .
There is also new evidence , suggesting that the high fructose corn syrup does NOT fare well as far as insulin responses . This is bad , because it is in many foods , not just beverages ( it is the # 1 ingredient in many BBQ sauces !)

A 100 calories of cheese will metabolise differently than 100 calories of apple .

Answer 3

Calories are calories- if a can of pop is 180 calories and your sandwich is 180 calories... they're both having the same effect on your body as far as calories go.

But every food has its highs and lows. Sugar has no nutritional value, and aside being bad for your teeth, can put your liver through the paces. What it does do is give you that temporary rush (that you may later regret!). Also, sugar has weird effects on your hunger patterns. If you eat a chocolate bar and a can of Coke when you're hungry, you may be eating as much as a quarter of your total intake. This means that when the sugar rush wears off, you'll be feeling weak and hungry again.

The sandwich on the otherhand, if made with brown/wholemeal bread, low-fat spread and a healthy, varied vegetarian filling, will, aside from giving you energy, can also give you fibre, a range of vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc. Also because brown carbs (wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta etc) aren't refined, they're better for you.

As far as other non-drink liquids go (soups etc), because they're mostly water based, they'll have less calories anyway. If you're after trimming down, avoid milk/cream based soups and double check the salt content. Sometimes, some companies use cheaper ingredients and add more salt to make the soup taste better.

Finally, people shouldn't drink canned drinks when trying to lose weight. Even diet drinks are ridiculously bad for you. Stick to the water and pure (not concentrated) juices, and you'll find your cravings for tinned/bottled drinks will go away, making it easier to stick to your diet.

Answer 4

Well, strictly speaking, a calorie is a calorie. However, you want to get as many of your calories as possible from whole foods. One of the differences is the time it takes to digest, and the calories actually burned during the digestion process. Also, whole foods in general tend to have a MUCH better nutrition profile, so you get a lot more "bang for your buck". So, stick with whole foods whenever possible.

Answer 5

A calorie is a calorie but some liquid calories tend to be empty calories, providing calories but no nutrition.

Answer 6

No.

Think of it as the difference between a box of sugar, and a box of sugar packets.

Both will have the same number of calories listed, by weight, on the label, but it takes longer to open the packets.

Here's a good explanation (source #1):

"Sugar mixed with water provides more calories and put on more body fat than the same amount of table sugar taken dry by the spoonful because the quick rise in blood sugar causes an insulin burst, which makes the liver respond by turning the excess sugar into fats. Caffeine exaggerates the roller coaster effect of sugars in the bloodstream by triggering the release of hormones that release stored sugar in the liver. That can of cola will produce a sugar high, but a sugar low is sure to follow.

The junk sugars in soft drinks also take good things out of the body. High doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners increase the urinary excretion of calcium, leading to weaker bones, or osteoporosis, and to deposits of calcium in the kidneys (i.e., kidney stones). The phosphoric acid present in many soft drinks further robs the body of calcium by increasing the loss of magnesium and calcium in the urine."

THE SECOND part of your question is about burning it off, which is partly answered by the above quote. If the sugar is being slowly released into your bloodstream, you may be able to burn it off before it is converted into fat.

If it is absorbed too quickly your body will have to process it out of the bloodstream, likely storing it as fat, and you lose metabolic efficiency (source #2).

That being said, fat is a clean fuel for aerobic activity, and gets used in greater proportion the longer the activity lasts. Also...

Sugar is burnt in greater proportion by short bursts of vigorous, anaerobic activity (source #3).

In summary, liquid calories absorb quickly, but are likely to take longer to burn off if they convert to fat.

Solids deliver calories more slowly, producing less fat and promoting healthier blood sugar levels, ie: better metabolism during normal or sedentary activity.

Exception: During, and after prolonged exertion, rapid ingestion of calories is used to pay muscle-glucose debt. In this case, liquids are the best delivery mechanism (source #4, #5).

There is a lot of conflicting propaganda out there from supplement manufacturers and their advertisers, telling you to use this and that. The best course is to keep it simple, the more natural the better. Think long-term, and good health will follow.

Answer 7

unless its alchohol calories- they dont really have any nutritional value - body cant use them for energy.

Answer 8

They are the same. It is in the fats and transfats that get you.

Answer 9

yes they are the same

Answer 10

yes they are the same