On Nutrition

DEAR DR. BLONZ: I am puzzled about the accuracy of nutrition labels on some products, particularly about calories. One example is the calories listed for almond milk. Almonds are so high in calories, yet a 1-cup serving of unsweetened almond milk is listed as having only 30 calories. -- C.K.

DEAR C.K.: Almonds are considered nuts, but they are also the seeds of the almond tree. Seeds must be light enough to travel to new areas for resources. For the journey to be successful, a seed must come with enough of its own energy to fuel all developmental chores until it can gather fresh energy from the sun. Because fats are the most concentrated energy in animals and plants, they are packed into seeds for this job, surrounded by a seed coat for protection.

Let's do some almond milk calculations, based on one cup of unroasted almonds -- an amount a typical recipe might use to make up to five cups of almond milk. According to the USDA database, one cup of unroasted almonds will contain about 816 calories, 70 grams of fat, 30 grams of protein, 30 grams of carbohydrate and 18 grams of dietary fiber. Almonds are also an excellent source of minerals -- one cup contains 380 mg each of calcium and magnesium and 1,033 mg of potassium -- so they're an excellent food with many nutrients.

Almonds can be made into a "milk" after soaking in filtered water overnight, then blended into a fine, watery meal, which is then filtered through a nut-milk bag or clean dish towel. Flavoring can be added at this point. Freshly made almond milk is a treat -- if you've never tried it, check this recipe at b.link/h2tytu for some ideas. If making your own, be sure to sanitize equipment as well as bottles that will be used for homemade almond milk storage. (Store-bought nut milk gets pasteurized.) It will last three to five days in the refrigerator.

The key to the Nutrition Facts numbers you noted is that most of the fat, protein and carbohydrate calories and minerals are in the almond solids, so they remain in the bag. You don't get one-fifth of the nutrients of one cup of almonds in a cup of almond milk. For example, there would be 163 calories in one-fifth of a cup of almonds, but only 62 calories in a cup of almond milk; this can vary between commercial brands. Some manufacturers fortify their almond and other nondairy milks with calcium to more closely resemble dairy milk. For more on food labels, Nutrition Facts and the information they must contain, see b.link/kdav9h.

When making your own almond milk, be sure to find a use for the resulting almond pulp. There are many recipes that use this fiber- and nutrient-rich pulp; see b.link/gbbkah for some suggestions. Almond pulp can also be date-labeled and stored in the freezer for later use.

Send questions to: "On Nutrition," Ed Blonz, c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO, 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: I am hoping for your take on this "miracle ice hack" that says we lose body weight when we drink ice water, because the body has to use its calories to bring the water up to body temperature. I see this mentioned periodically, and it seems too good to be true, but some inescapable logic makes me curious. -- S.F., Chicago

DEAR S.F.: Wouldn't that be an easy fix? This "miracle ice hack" emerges periodically and sounds enticing enough to have many asking whether it makes sense. It is correct that the body would need to use its energy, measured in calories, to raise ice water -- or any cold food -- to body temperature.

However, a check of the math shows this to be insignificant regarding body weight. The mixup stems from the fact that calories used as a unit of heat in physics differ from the calories used to express the energy in food (and body fat) -- by a factor of 1,000.

In physics, a calorie is the unit of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. By contrast, the food/fat calorie is 1,000 times that amount, the energy needed to raise 1,000 grams of water (1 kilogram) 1 degree Celsius.

To help understand what "calorie" you are referring to, food/fat calories are spelled with an uppercase "C", but that never worked out well, especially if "calorie" is the first word of a sentence. Then there was the issue where mid-sentence "C"alories get inadvertently changed to lowercase by proofreaders. In scientific articles and published literature, food calories are written as kilocalories, or kcals. But these terms caused confusion. Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels do not use kilocalories or kcals. They capitalize the "C" in calories, although this distinction is not appreciated.

As a result, the calorie has been left on its own in the popular press, and we remain vulnerable to issues such as this "miracle ice hack," which has people wondering why ice water doesn't make them thin.

Here's the math to show how ice water fails to provide a chill way to lose weight. To avoid confusion, I will specify "thermal calories" for those that relate to one gram of water and kcals for those that relate to one kilogram of water (the latter being the food/body fat calories). Let's use the measure that there are 3,500 kcals in a pound of body fat (for reference, this is the equivalent of 3,500,000 thermal calories). Raising the temperature of 1 cup (8 ounces, or 227 grams) of ice water from refrigerator temperature (5 degrees C) to body temperature (37 degrees C) reflects a rise of 32 degrees (37 – 5 = 32 degrees change). The energy required for this rise is 7,264 thermal calories (227 grams x 32 thermal calories per degree); 7,264 thermal calories are equivalent to 7.3 kcals.

The chilling perspective here is that 8 ounces of ice water "burns" 7.3 kcals to bring it up to body temperature, and there are 3,500 kcals in a pound of body fat, so it would take 28 gallons of ice water to burn the energy equivalent of 1 pound of body fat.

Send questions to: "On Nutrition," Ed Blonz, c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO, 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: Tell me more about Celtic sea salt, promoted all over social media for a number of health benefits. These include alkalizing the body, balancing blood sugar, eliminating mucus buildup and improving brain function (by remineralizing the blood-brain barrier), while providing benefits from over 80 minerals, including magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron. I wanted to check, as I think it's all a bit much for salt. -- S.F., San Diego

DEAR S.F.: Methinks it's a bit much as well. Such promotions contribute to the growing shaker of evidence that we must not base health decisions (or perhaps any decisions) solely on what we learn from social media. It is also vital to understand that because an advertisement mentions the presence of an essential nutrient does not mean it provides enough to have an effect. Always verify with objective information from experts academically trained to study the topic. Misinformation descends to risky business if applied to decisions about health.

The predominant substance in sea salt is sodium chloride. Given the amount used in a serving (one-quarter teaspoon), there wouldn't be enough other ingredients to affect an otherwise healthy body. The seawater used to make this salt may contain a variety of other minerals, but in minute amounts. Videos and promoters may mention mineral names and what they do, but that doesn't mean the salt gives you enough to make or enhance that action.

A food's Nutrition Facts label must declare its per-serving amounts of calories, fat (total, saturated and trans fats), cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, protein, vitamin D, potassium, iron and calcium. To claim something is a "good source" or stating that it "provides" or "contains" an essential nutrient, one serving needs to provide at least 10% of the Daily Value requirement; if claimed to be an "excellent" source, the serving must provide at least 20%. What besides sodium is on the Nutrition Facts label of Celtic sea salt? My read revealed one-quarter teaspoon provides 450 mg sodium and 0.4 mg iron (2% of iron's 18-milligram daily value). No other minerals are declared. What about calcium and magnesium? Yes, small amounts are found in seawater, but is insufficient to be declared on the label. Consumer protection agencies review product labels, and there are penalties for misrepresentations; such is not the case for social media.

Your question also mentions "alkalizing the body, balancing blood sugar, eliminating mucus buildup and improving brain function" by an effect on the blood-brain barrier -- I could find no evidence to support these, either. I have no problems with safe, sustainably harvested sea salt, but exorbitant promotional claims leave a bad taste. So, be wary, because such claims have spread like invasive weeds on social media.

Send questions to: "On Nutrition," Ed Blonz, c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO, 64106. Send email inquiries to questions@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.