Top 10 facts about negative calorie foods

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Negative calorie intake is a concept based on the idea that certain foods require more energy to digest than they contain. It turns out that eating them will help you lose weight without any problems.

Many diets are based on the idea of negative calorie content, but the concept itself has become overgrown with so many myths that it is worth figuring out which data are scientific and which are not.

1. The concept of calories

The term "calories" refers to the amount of energy that you get from eating a certain food. Initially, it indicated the amount of energy required to burn a certain substance. With regard to food, energy may not be fully absorbed. In this case, it either leaves the body through the excretory system, or is stored in reserve in the form of fat.

The body does not have direct access to energy, so it needs to digest food first.

2. Thermal effect of food

The body does not have direct access to energy, so it needs to digest food first. Thermal effect of food is usually estimated within 5-10% of the total energy value of food. Therefore, the information that the thermal effect should be more than 100% for foods with negative calories is a pure myth.

3. Foods with negative calories exist … in theory

While such products may exist, they have not yet been discovered. If a food has a negative calorie content, it means that the calorie content in it is minimal. However, after your body has used up 10% for digestion, there will still be calories.

4. Is there a zero calorie meal?

All zero calorie foods are made in the laboratory. The only natural substance that does not contain calories is water. Of course, artificial sweeteners have been specifically designed so as not to add extra calories to the diet, but all natural foods do contain calories.

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5. Low-calorie foods are good for weight loss

Negative calorie foods are actually just low calorie foods. Most commonly, this list includes: apples, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, garlic, grapefruit, lemon, lettuce, onions and turnips.

6. Negative calories are designed to fool you

It is worth knowing that any diet based on the concept of negative calories is unreliable. Even if its creators explain that they mean low-calorie foods, it is not worth spending money, time and health on such a bait.

7. Eat not negative calories, but foods that speed up metabolism

When you want to lose weight, focus on metabolism-boosting foods instead of the fruitless search for negative calorie foods. Vegetables and fruits are rich in fiber, they have a beneficial effect on metabolism, and can be eaten even in large quantities.

8. Zero Calorie Drinks Do Have Calories

Again, we repeat, any product of natural origin contains calories, no matter what they say about it. Therefore, you do not need to drink advertised drinks, which, among other things, are poor in nutrients. Therefore, pay attention to vegetables and fruits, and quench your thirst with plain water.

You don't need to drink high-profile drinks, which, among other things, are poor in nutrients.

9. Coca-Cola and Nestlé produced negative calorie drinks

The two companies paid a $ 650,000 fine in 2007 for advertising green tea that burns 33 calories more than it contains. In fact, the drink only contained caffeine and other stimulants.

10. The only food with negative calories is …

Ice water! Consuming a glass of ice water burns about 8.8 kcal. However, this is so insignificant that just by drinking a glass of cold water a day, in a year you will lose only about half a kilogram.