Sorry if this is a stupid question.
For example, would the body treat 3000 calories of almonds the same way that it would treat 3000 calories of chocolate cake? Ignoring hunger/fullness or physical space in the stomach, would both scenarios cause weight gain? What differences would exist?
TLDR; No. Thermic effect of food and how we digest varies between different foods and how they are processed. Here are some good articles on the subject:
http://physiqonomics.com/calories/
https://chanapdavis.medium.com/when-a-calorie-is-not-a-calorie-82062c6bd740
Short answer. Yes. From a scientific standpoint a Calorie is a Calorie is a Calorie.
Long answer. What those calories can do for your body varies on the source. Bullet points:
So yes a Calorie is a Calorie. But not all calories consumed do equal work for your body.
Calories as a unit of heat, yes. In food, your body does not process all of it at 100%, especially for unprocessed foods so each one will affect you in different ways based on chemical signaling. Be careful though because people hold their understanding of food as high as some religions. In reality, the calories in food are based on data that is over 100 years old (1850s I think). Surely we could have developed a more accurate method by this point.
Google thermic effect of food. Basically the cost (in calories) it takes your body to process the food. High thermic food examples are protein and hot peppers.
So 1000 calories of chicken breast is worth a net 800 calories hypothetically but a 1000 calories of cake is worth 950.
So yes a calorie is a calorie because that is just a unit of measurement but there is more to the equation.
Yes, calories are more or less equal and in the grand scheme of calories in vs calories out, you’re gonna see similar results… however making healthier changes can indirectly increase energy expenditure throughout the day. Also studies suggest that when protein intake is increased, people burn from 100kcal to 250kcal per day extra due to protein high thermic effect.
the energy balance theory is a physics concept that is 100% reasonable for closed systems. the human body is not only an open system but it is controlled by biochemistry much more than by physics in terms of nutrition. different types of calories have different relationships with different enzymes and hormones.
edit: to expand further and answer your question.
Calories are calories, but what you eat with those calories is far more important.
For example, eat the same amount of calories in broccoli and a hot dog. Drastically different impact on the body (obviously, an extreme example).
Sorta. Chocolate cake means high carbs while almonds are high fat, this is an unbalanced situation which I would consider more of a cheat day since it’s extremely high portions of food that no one would consume on a regular diet.
This can affect your gut if you have bloating issues. For example, Chocolate cake may have preservatives, artificial sweetener, etc. that can cause inflammation if you are sensitive to lab created chemicals and stuff. While on the other hand, almonds is a whole food that is good for your health.
In terms of body wise, it’s calories in, calories out, food doesn’t matter. In terms of health wise, Almonds > Chocolate cake.
Always stick a balance diet of fats, carbs, protein, vitamins, and minerals for a sustainable diet long term. You shouldn’t be consuming a specific food.
They’re equal in the sense that eating 5000 calories broccoli in a day will make you pick up fat same as eating 5000 calories Mcdonalds (if it’s a surplus and all that) big difference being that you’ll have to eat way more broccoli than Mcdonalds.
They’re different in the sense that if you eat 1000 calories meat and 1000 calories ice-cream. You’ll be able to use the protein you gain from the meat to help with muscle growth. But 1000 calories ice-cream is mostly empty, meaning you aren’t getting a lot of the essential nutritions your body needs fron it. So it just adds to your overall calorie intake you’re getting without aiding you much.
Yes and no. A calorie is unit of measurement: the amount of energy required to hear 1 liter of water 1 degree celsius, so in that sense, all calories by definition must be equal.
But the body processes different macronutrients differently, so in the same sense that a mile of flat gravel road is not the same as a mile of mountainous asphalt road, a calorie from pure sugar is not the same as a calorie from a steak.
No. Those 3000 calories of cake are much more easy to digest than 3000 calories of almonds. Your body has to work harder digesting those almonds, so you will expend more calories digesting them then the cake.
Long term, processed foods are also worse for you