What is the term for the energy required to digest, absorb, and assimilate nutrients from food?

• A. Basal metabolic rate
• B. Thermic effect of food
• C. Physical activity energy expenditure
• D. Resting energy expenditure

Answer: (B)

The energy required to digest, absorb, and assimilate nutrients from food is the thermic effect of food. This portion of energy expenditure reflects the cost of processing what you eat—the work the body does to digest, transport, metabolize, and store nutrients. It’s influenced by what you eat, especially protein, which requires more energy to process than fats or carbohydrates, so meals with higher protein content have a higher TEF.

This differs from energy used at rest, which covers the basic maintenance of body functions (basal metabolic rate or resting energy expenditure), and from energy spent on physical activity, which comes from deliberate movement and exercise. TEF typically accounts for about 5–15% of daily energy expenditure, depending on the overall diet composition.