Ask Tufts Experts: Actionable Information; A Calorie is a Calorie

I found the June article on cooking terminology interesting, but it’s not what I’m used to seeing in this newsletter. Has there been a change?

Judith C. Thalheimer, RD, LDN, executive editor of Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, answers:

“Thank you for being an observant and interested reader! There has been no change in our mission to present evidencebased, expertreviewed, trustworthy health and nutrition information to the public.

“Many readers have asked us to add practical information on cooking and other food preparation tips. These articles are part of our effort to help readers put reliable scientific information about nutrition and lifestyle into practice.

“Behavior change is hard—and knowledge is not enough to guarantee that change. We must also have the skills to put that knowledge into action. For example, we often make the evidence- based point that it is easier to regularly consume a healthy dietary pattern when cooking at home than when eating out, ordering in, or heating up highly processed foods. But this information is not going to lead to behavior change if one does not know how to cook and is unfamiliar with the terminology found in even simple recipes.

“With each of our articles, you will notice a ‘Take Charge!’ box. These sidebars are designed to make the information in the article actionable. You may also notice we generally wrap up NewsBites by connecting the study being summarized to its practical application. And, of course, there’s this page to directly address questions of concern to our readers!

“We are proud to be providing you with the information—and the tools—you need to live a long, healthy, quality life!”

I keep thinking of the old expression, “a calorie is a calorie.” What does this mean, and is it true?

Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, Stanley N. Gershoff professor of nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and senior scientist and director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, answers:

“Scientifically, a calorie is a unit of energy. Since all calories provide the same amount of energy, this saying is technically true. But when it comes to judging the effects of a food on your health it is false.

“Sure, you can get about 100 calories of energy from a 30-gram serving of orange slice candy or from a small orange, but the orange gives you vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other bioactive compounds to support bodily functions. The candy gives you sugar, along with artificial coloring and flavoring.

“In other words, calories from whole or minimally processed foods come with a variety of nutrients that support good health. Calories we get from highly processed foods lack these benefits and usually contain ingredients that do not support your health, such as added sugars, high levels of sodium, saturated fat, and refined carbohydrates.

“Researchers have seen that, even with the same calories, different foods can have different effects on liver fat synthesis, muscle gain or loss, microbiome health and function, and even resting energy expenditure.

“Although some research has suggested that all calories may not be equal in terms of maintaining weight, it is important to keep in mind that, even if they are not, the absolute differences may not be large enough to have a measurable effect on body weight.

“At this time, the best advise we can give is to get your calories from whole and minimally processed foods. That is clearly the healthiest choice. Following this advice is good for the heart, good for the brain and good for healthy aging.”

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