Why does digestion increase the body’s energy expenditure?

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USDA MyPlate dietary guidelines — human nutrition MyPlate, a revised set of dietary guidelines introduced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2011, divides the four basic food groups (fruits, grains, protein, and vegetables) into sections on a plate, the size of each section representing the relative dietary proportions of each food group. The small blue circle shown at the upper right illustrates the inclusion and recommended proportion of dairy products in the diet.

Digestion increases the body’s energy expenditure because the process of breaking down and subsequently processing food requires energy and generates heat.1

This physiological phenomenon is known as the thermic effect of food, or diet-induced thermogenesis. It accounts for approximately 10 percent of an individual's total daily energy expenditure, though the exact amount can vary depending on the composition of the diet and prior dietary practices.1