Craig and I maintain which we've moved to our own property. Three of the six major nutrients can be used by the body to produce the chemical energy needed to power life processes and heat. The heat released when these nutrients are burned by the body is measured in calories. Carbohydrates and proteins release approximately 4 kcals or calories per gram of weight. Fats contain more than twice as many calories at 9 kcals per gram weight.
Carbohydrates can be simple in their chemical structure like sugar, or complex like cellulose.
Cellulose and other similar complex carbohydrates make up the physical structure of plants. Some of these complex carbohydrates cannot be digested by animals, and are then labeled as dietary fiber . Although it is not digested, fiber plays an important role in normal intestinal function in the cat. Proteins Proteins are not one substance, but many substances made up of smaller subunits called amino acids that are linked together. Proteins also function as hormones and chemical transmitters within nerves.