Empty calories

We speak of "empty calories" to indicate the energy supply provided by foods which, while providing many calories to the body, are poor (or empty) in micronutrients such as vitamins, mineral salts, antioxidants and phytochemicals in general.An empty calorie is therefore identical to a traditional calorie: it brings the same energy, but it tends to be unhealthy; in fact, a "diet based on the prevalent consumption of foods rich in empty calories predisposes to overweight and related metabolic diseases; at the same time, it risks developing slight deficiencies in the aforementioned micronutrients.

But what are the foods rich in empty calories? In general, refined flours, sugars and foods that make extensive use of them are included in the categories: sweets, snacks, jellies, white bread, polished rice, sugary drinks, many alcoholic beverages (in the case of red wine and especially beer however, the contribution of micronutrients such as resveratrol, vitamins, minerals, etc.) and foods particularly rich in animal fats and margarines should not be underestimated.

One of the most striking cases of empty calories is represented by a can of coca-cola (or other equivalent sugary drink), which contains about 30 grams of sugar and near-zero quantities of fats and proteins. There is therefore a lack of fiber, essential fatty acids and amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Even more evident is the "appropriateness of the adjective" empty "in reference to the calories of alcohol (6.9 per gram), since it brings usable energy but none of the nutrients necessary for the construction or renewal of cellular structures.