Eli5 So we need calories to survive. If there are 100 calories in a spoon of oil, how come we can’t survive on oil for emergencies?

Question

Eli5 So we need calories to survive. If there are 100 calories in a spoon of oil, how come we can’t survive on oil for emergencies?

In: 3554

Answer 1

You could for a short time. But we need more than calories to survive. We need nutrients. Things like vitamins and small amounts of minerals. Our digestive systems also need fiber.

If we don’t get the right nutrients in the right amounts, we can get serious medical conditions, and even die.