-
Mayo Clinic Minute: Does your diet contain empty calories?
Share this:
Whether you count the calories you consume every day, it's important to recognize when you might be filling your body with junk food that provides no nutrients. And, as Jason Howland reports in this Mayo Clinic Minute, many foods and beverages contain empty calories.
Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (1:00) is in the downloads. Read the script.
Most everything you eat or drink has calories. But what are empty calories?
"Empty calories are basically calories that don't have any added nutritional value, like the vitamins and minerals that we need for our body to function and grow," says Amber Bonsall, a Mayo Clinic dietitian.
A calorie is a unit of energy. It's a way of measuring how much energy your body gets from eating or drinking certain foods and beverages. Too many calories in your diet, especially empty ones, can lead to weight gain.
"Empty calories can be found in things like your candies and sodas, so those things don't really add much to our life," says Bonsall.
While those empty calories might make you feel full and satisfy your cravings, they're doing more harm than good.
"We want to make sure that we're having those foods that are going to add those extra nutritional pieces to our body," she says.
Share this:
Related articles
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — Mayo Clinic Health System in Northwest Wisconsin has achieved Magnet designation, the highest national honor for nursing excellence, from the American ...
World AIDS Day, observed on Dec. 1, raises awareness about HIV/AIDS and pays tribute to those affected by the disease. Globally, about 39 million people are living ...
Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week will be observed Dec. 1–7, which makes this a good time to learn about the signs and symptoms of these disorders. Researchers ...