HUMAN NUTRITION

Detailed explanation-1: -Food energy is measured in kilocalories (kcals), commonly referred to as calories. Although technically incorrect, this terminology is so familiar that it will be used throughout this course. A kilocalorie is the amount of energy needed to raise 1 kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius.

Detailed explanation-2: -Energy as kilojoules A kilojoule is a unit of measure of energy, in the same way that kilometres measure distance. Food energy used to be measured in Calories (Cal) and some countries still use those units. The conversions are as follows: 1 kJ = 0.2 Cal.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Calorie Is a Unit of Energy A calorie is the amount of energy in the form of heat that is required to heat one gram of water one degree Celsius. To measure the number of calories in a particular food substance, a certain amount of food is burned in a device called a calorimeter. As the food burns, heat is created.