NEM

NEM, a unit for measuring the nutritional value of food, proposed by Pirke. Measuring the nutritional value of food by calculating the number of calories contained in it, in Pirke's opinion, is practically little suitable, since the concept of a calorie is abstract and does not create a real representation of the nutritional value of a given food. Therefore, Pirke proposed to define the nutritional value of food based on the nutritional value of standard female milk, containing 1.7% protein, 3.7% fat and 6.7% sugar. The nutritional value of 1 g of such milk is denoted by the word NEM (Nahrungs-Einheit-Milch) and serves as a "measure of the nutritional value of food." One N. develops in the body an amount of heat equal to 0.67 calories. Thus 1 calorie equals 1¹/₂ N., and 1 N. = ²/₃ calories. Calculations with N. are carried out according to the metric system: 0.1 N. = nutritional value of 0.1 g of milk (1 decinem), 1 N. = nutritional value of 1 g of milk [1 N. (n)], 10 N. = nutritional value of 10 g of milk (1 decanem), 100 N. = nutritional value of 100 g of milk [1 hectonem (h)], 1000 N. = nutritional value of 1000 g [1 kilonem (kn)].-With the N. they compare the nutritional value of other food products; thus, if they say that 1 g of sugar = 6 N., this means that 1 g of sugar is 6 times more nutritious than 1 g of milk. In practice, the hectonem (h) is used as a unit of nutritional value. The weight amount of any substance equal in nutritional value to a hectonem (or 100 g of milk) is called the hectonem-weight of that substance. It is calculated by dividing 100 by the number of nems of a given substance. For example, 1 g of oil contains 12 N.; therefore its hectonem-weight = 100/12 = 8.3. Despite the fact that the system proposed by Pirke really represents convenience and is extremely thoroughly developed by him and his school, it still found practical application almost only in Austria, where Pirke worked.