When you eat food, your body burns extra calories just to digest it — this extra burn is about 5% to 15% of your total daily calorie use, and it’s higher when you eat more protein or alcohol, and lower when you eat more fat.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Diet induced thermogenesis

Narrative Review

2004 Aug 18

This study found that when people eat food, their bodies burn extra calories—especially when they eat protein or alcohol—and this extra burning makes up 5–15% of their daily energy use, just like the claim says.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Diet induced thermogenesis

Score: 1

DOI: 10.1186/1743-7075-1-5

Similar Assertions

Drinking alcohol makes your body burn more calories during digestion — almost as much as eating protein — even though alcohol isn’t a nutrient your body needs.

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Even though eating more protein makes you burn more calories right after a meal, your body gets used to it over time — so after weeks, that extra calorie burn disappears.

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