Eli5: How can edible items have 0 calories in them while still contain nutritional items like carbs (sugars and other sweeteners), vitamins, and amino acids (BCAAs etc.)?

Question

Eli5: How can edible items have 0 calories in them while still contain nutritional items like carbs (sugars and other sweeteners), vitamins, and amino acids (BCAAs etc.)?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

As a diabetic who lives by counting carbs, I’m pretty sure you can’t have 0 calories but have carbs. If something is 0 calorie, I know that I can eat/drink it without needing insulin. No idea of the science, but basically carbs provide calories, or calories provide carbs.

And sweeteners contain extremely few carbs – it’s why diabetics use them, rather than sugar.

I know this doesn’t answer the question, but I felt it was an important thing to point out, in the interests of full education. Kinda.