Negative calorie food

A negative calorie food is a food that is purported to require more food energy to be digested than it provides. That is, its thermic effect is greater than its food energy content.

While this concept is popular in dieting guides, there is no scientific evidence that any of the foods claimed as negative calorie foods are such.^[1][2] Foods that are claimed to be negative in calories are mostly low-calorie fruits and vegetables such as grapefruit, lemon, lime, apple, lettuce, celery, broccoli and cabbage.^[3] Celery, a commonly cited negative calorie food, actually requires only about 10% of its food energy content to be digested (due to the thermic effect).^[4]:88 Zero-calorie beverages, such as water, do take more than zero calories to process within the body, however they do not offer the dietary sustenance that other so-called negative calorie foods do in the form of fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins, etc. and as such, are not generally regarded as being negative calorie.^[4]:84

See also

• Negative Calorie beverage
• Diet food
• Dieting
• Calorie restriction
• Very-low-calorie diet

References

1. ^ Snyderman, Dr. Nancy (May. 06, 2009). "There Are No Negative-Calorie Foods - Debunking 10 Myths About Dieting". Time. http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1896439_1896359_1896346,00.html. 
2. ^ Shepphird, Sari Fine (2009). "Question 74". 100 Questions & Answers About Anorexia Nervosa. Jones & Bartlett. p. 171. ISBN 9780763754501. 
3. ^ "Negative Calorie Diet". Calorie Counter. http://www.actabit.com/negative-calorie-diet. Retrieved 2010-10-10. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Upton, Julie (October 2008). "Global Metabolism Myths". Prevention (Rodale Inc.) 10 (60): 84,88. ISSN 0032-8006. http://www.globalhealthandfitness.com/metabolism%20myths.htm.  google books copy of the issue