Proof Primarily based
“Damaging-calorie meals” are meals that purportedly take extra energy to eat and digest than they supply your physique.
Many dieters eat them as a result of they consider doing so causes fats loss.
Not everybody buys the hype about negative-calorie meals, although.
Detractors argue that no meals can create a calorie deficit by itself. They admit that consuming these so-called negative-calorie meals has well being and weight-loss perks, however declare they gained’t alone increase weight reduction.
Who’s proper?
Get an evidence-based reply on this article.
What Is A Calorie?
A calorie is a unit of energy.
More precisely, it’s the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius.
We typically use calories to measure the energy content of food and the amount of energy our bodies burn performing functions such as breathing, digesting food, and physical activity.
What Are “Negative-Calorie Foods?”
A “negative-calorie food” (or “calorie-negative food”) is any food that allegedly requires more calories to eat and digest than it provides your body.
For example, if a food contains 50 calories, but your body burns 60 calories chewing and digesting it, it would be considered a negative-calorie food.
If negative-calorie foods exist, eating them could help you lose fat by creating a calorie deficit.
What Are “The 10 Negative-Calorie Foods?”
This negative-calorie foods list commonly appears in articles about negative-calorie foods and contains the 10 foods that many people believe “cost” more calories to digest than they contain:
- Celery
- Lettuce
- Cucumbers
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Grapefruit
- Tomatoes
- Watermelon
- Apples
- Berries
Do Negative-Calorie Foods Exist?
Probably not.
Many so-called negative-calorie foods are low in calories, but there’s no evidence they require more calories to eat and digest than they contain.
For instance, one common argument for negative-calorie foods is that some foods contain so few calories that you likely burn more calories chewing them than they provide.
While it’s true that chewing food burns calories, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that it probably doesn’t burn enough to make a food “negative-calorie.”
That study showed that chewing gum for an entire hour only burned about 11 calories. At that rate, you’d have to munch on a stick of celery (which contains ~6 calories) for around 30 minutes to burn the calories it contains.
Since most people chew for only a few minutes per meal, we can safely assume that the number of calories you burn chewing doesn’t exceed the number of calories in the food you’re eating.
People often also suggest that some foods are negative-calorie because they “cost” more to digest than they supply.
However, research shows that the calories you burn digesting food (a food’s “TEF”) are just a fraction of the calories the food contains. Specifically, protein has a TEF of ~20-to-30%, carbs have a TEF of ~5-to-10%, and fat has a TEF of ~0-to-3%.
This means, for example, that if you eat 100 calories of protein, your body burns 20-to-30 calories digesting it.
In other words, digestion never accounts for more calories than a food provides. This is especially true for many foods that people term negative-calorie since these foods are usually high in carbs but contain little protein, making their TEF relatively low.
Furthermore, most negative-calorie foods contain a lot of fiber, so they typically cost fewer calories to digest than low-fiber foods.
In the final analysis, there’s no direct evidence that negative-calorie foods don’t exist. Based on what research tells us about how many calories we burn chewing and digesting food, however, we can be quite sure there’s no such thing as a negative-calorie food.
That doesn’t negate the value of these foods, though. While they aren’t a quick fix for weight loss, there are still good reasons to incorporate them into your diet.
Should You Eat “Negative-Calorie Foods” for Weight Loss?
Yes.
But not because they’re “negative-calorie.”
The key reason to eat these foods while dieting is they’re usually high in fiber and low in calories.
Thus, eating negative-calorie foods can help temper your appetite and make eating in a calorie deficit feel less challenging.
Also, these foods often contain ample vitamins and minerals. Although these nutrients don’t directly boost weight loss, they contribute to your overall health while “cutting,” increasing the chances you’ll stick to your diet.
Another advantage of eating negative-calorie foods is they tend to be unprocessed. This is significant because research shows that eating a diet rich in unprocessed foods maximizes the number of calories you burn through TEF.
Again, this isn’t enough to create a calorie deficit alone, but it should make losing weight easier, provided you also know how to diet and train to drive fat loss.
That said, your diet shouldn’t only consist of negative-calorie foods.
As I explain in my fitness books for men and women, Bigger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger, to make dieting for weight loss as fast, healthful, and sustainable as possible, you should aim to eat a range of nutritious foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish, dairy, pulses, nuts, seeds, legumes, and plant oils.
With effective meal planning, you should be able to include regular “treats” as well.
And if you’d like specific advice about which foods you should eat to reach your health and fitness goals, take the Legion Diet Quiz, and in less than a minute, you’ll know exactly what diet is right for you. Click here to check it out.
+ Scientific References
- Regory, G., Ore, J. D., Atthew, M. P. H. M., Aw, G. L., Ohn, P. H. D. J., Aldor, M. K., Ommaso, T., Troffolini, S., Aolo D’, P., Rgenio, A., Lfonso, A., & Ele, M. (1999). The Energy Expended in Chewing Gum. Https://Doi.Org/10.1056/NEJM199912303412718, 341(27), 2100–2100. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199912303412718
- Raben, A., Christensen, N. J., Madsen, J., Holst, J. J., & Astrup, A. (1994). Decreased postprandial thermogenesis and fat oxidation but increased fullness after a high-fiber meal compared with a low-fiber meal. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 59(6), 1386–1394. https://doi.org/10.1093/AJCN/59.6.1386
- L Scalfi, A. C., E D’Arrigo, V Carandente, C Mazzacano, M Di Palo, & F Contaldo. (n.d.). Effect of dietary fibre on postprandial thermogenesis – PubMed. Retrieved May 22, 2023, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3032832/
- Akhlaghi, M. (2022). The role of dietary fibers in regulating appetite, an overview of mechanisms and weight consequences. Https://Doi.Org/10.1080/10408398.2022.2130160. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2022.2130160
- Barr, S. B., & Wright, J. C. (2010). Postprandial energy expenditure in whole-food and processed-food meals: implications for daily energy expenditure. Food & Nutrition Research, 54. https://doi.org/10.3402/FNR.V54I0.5144
You Could Additionally Like
Our Most Well-liked Proof-Primarily based Articles
You do not want dietary supplements to construct muscle, lose fats, and get wholesome. However the fitting ones will help.
Take our 60-second quiz now to be taught which dietary supplements will help you obtain your health objectives sooner.
Sending…
Your free stuff is on the way in which!
Observe the Eating regimen Plan that Helped Nikita Lose 15 Kilos in 3 Months
“I by no means thought getting in form can be this easy! All the pieces simply WORKS whenever you comply with this plan.” And if he can do it, why not you?
Wait!
Need a Free Customized Meal Planning Software?
Shortly calculate your energy, macros, and micros for dropping fats, constructing muscle, and staying wholesome.
Our “No Return Needed”
Cash-Again Assure
Should you don’t like one thing of ours, guess what occurs subsequent?
No, we don’t request you ship it to a PO field within the Gobi Desert by provider pigeon. Nor will we ask you to fill a cursed inkwell with orc’s blood and demon saliva after which use it to finish reams of return kinds written in historic Cyrillic script.
We simply . . . look ahead to it . . . provide you with your a refund. Holy moo cows. And which means you possibly can say “sure” now and determine later.
Free Worldwide Transport & Returns
Many corporations use transport and dealing with charges to extend their revenue margins, however right here at Legion, we hate income, so our transport is free!
Okay, so we do dig on income, however we additionally go in for comfortable prospects, and free transport works like gangbusters. So, should you reside in the US, your order ships free no matter order measurement, should you reside within the UK or Canada, your order ships free when it’s over $99, and should you reside elsewhere, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Additionally, should you don’t completely love our stuff for no matter purpose, we don’t request you ship it to a PO field within the Gobi Desert by provider pigeon.
We simply . . . look ahead to it . . . provide you with your a refund. No returns. No kinds. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
Meaning you possibly can say “sure” now and determine later. You actually don’t have anything to lose.
Free Worldwide Transport & Returns
Many corporations use transport and dealing with charges to extend their revenue margins, however right here at Legion, we hate income, so our transport is free!
Okay, so we do dig on income, however we additionally go in for comfortable prospects, and free transport works like gangbusters. So, should you reside within the UK or Canada, your order ships free when it’s over $99.
Why the restriction on worldwide orders? Sadly, transport overseas could be very costly, and if we didn’t require a minimal order measurement, we’d lose some huge cash. However! We’re additionally hustling to enhance our worldwide logistics and shall be passing our financial savings alongside to our worldwide prospects.
Additionally, should you don’t completely love our stuff for no matter purpose, we don’t request you ship it to a PO field within the Gobi Desert by provider pigeon.
We simply . . . look ahead to it . . . provide you with your a refund. No returns. No kinds. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
Meaning you possibly can say “sure” now and determine later. You actually don’t have anything to lose.
Free Worldwide Transport & Returns
Many corporations use transport and dealing with charges to extend their revenue margins, however right here at Legion, we hate income, so our transport is free!
Okay, so we do dig on income, however we additionally go in for comfortable prospects, and free transport works like gangbusters. So, should you’re exterior the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Why the restriction on worldwide orders? Sadly, transport overseas could be very costly, and if we didn’t require a minimal order measurement, we’d lose some huge cash. However! We’re additionally hustling to enhance our worldwide logistics and shall be passing our financial savings alongside to our worldwide prospects.
Additionally, should you don’t completely love our stuff for no matter purpose, we don’t request you ship it to a PO field within the Gobi Desert by provider pigeon.
We simply . . . look ahead to it . . . provide you with your a refund. No returns. No kinds. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
Meaning you possibly can say “sure” now and determine later. You actually don’t have anything to lose.
Clinically Efficient Substances & Doses
Many components in dietary supplements don’t have any scientifically validated advantages, and plenty of components that do are sometimes underdosed to the purpose of irrelevance.
That’s why we solely use the selection components and exact doses proven to be efficient in peer-reviewed scientific research.
Clinically Efficient Doses
You want greater than nice components to make nice merchandise—you additionally want correct doses. That’s why we use the exact doses of components proven to be efficient in peer-reviewed scientific research.
100% Pure Substances
“Pure” doesn’t all the time imply “higher,” however in lots of instances, pure components are superior to synthetic ones for numerous causes, together with purity, security, and efficacy.
That’s why all of our components in all of our merchandise come from plant and animal sources, together with sweeteners, colours, and flavors.
Made in USA
If you wish to make sure the dietary supplements you’re swallowing day-after-day are protected and efficient, you need merchandise produced within the USA.
That’s why all of our dietary supplements are made in America in NSF-certified and FDA-inspected services that function in accordance with the Present Good Manufacturing Apply (cGMP) rules.
Lab Examined
Do you know that dietary supplements can include dangerously excessive ranges of poisons like lead, arsenic, and cadmium?
That’s why we take a look at each ingredient of each complement we produce for heavy metals, microbes, allergens, and different contaminants and guarantee they meet the strict purity requirements set by the FDA.
Naturally Sweetened & Flavored
Whereas synthetic sweeteners is probably not as harmful as some individuals declare, research counsel that common consumption of those chemical compounds could certainly be dangerous to our well being.
That’s why all of our dietary supplements are naturally sweetened and flavored and include no synthetic meals dyes, fillers, or different pointless junk.
Science-Backed Substances
Many components in dietary supplements don’t have any scientifically validated advantages. That’s why we solely use selection components proven to be efficient in peer-reviewed scientific research.
No Chemical Junk
“Pure” doesn’t all the time imply “higher,” however in lots of instances, pure components are superior to synthetic ones for numerous causes, together with purity, security, and efficacy.
That’s why all of our components in all of our merchandise come from plant and animal sources, together with sweeteners, colours, and flavors.
Break up your complete on-line buy into 4 interest-free funds, over 6 weeks with no impression to your credit score.
25%
as we speak
25%
2 weeks
25%
4 weeks
25%
6 weeks
Store and add gadgets to your cart as regular!
Select Sezzle at Checkout! You’ll be redirected to Sezzle to Signal Up or Log In
to finish your order.
Your order shall be shipped out immediately* and your funds shall be break up up
over 6 weeks.
*transport occasions topic to service provider transport coverage
Store listing. Reschedule funds. Plus extra!
Waiver and Launch of Legal responsibility
In consideration of the providers and/or merchandise provided by Legion Athletics, Inc. (“Legion”) together with, however not restricted to, vitamin plans, train routines and training, and along with the fee of any charge or cost:
I knowingly and voluntarily enter into this waiver and launch of legal responsibility and hereby waive any and all rights, claims or causes of motion of any type in any way arising out of my use of Legion’s providers and/or merchandise, and I hereby launch and maintain innocent Legion and its consultants, officers, contractors, brokers, homeowners and staff from any and all accountability, legal responsibility, value and bills, together with for accidents, damages or issues (bodily, metabolic, or in any other case), ensuing from my use of Legion’s providers and/or merchandise.
I perceive that health actions together with, however not restricted to, energy, flexibility, and cardiovascular train, with or with out using gear, are probably hazardous actions that contain a threat of damage and even loss of life, and I’m voluntarily collaborating in these actions and utilizing gear and equipment with data of the dangers concerned. I hereby conform to assume and settle for any and all dangers of damage or loss of life associated to mentioned health actions.
I perceive Legion’s providers and merchandise aren’t meant to deal with or handle any well being circumstances or circumstances, and I acknowledge that Legion has really useful I receive a healthcare supplier’s approval for my use of Legion’s providers and/or merchandise, by way of common bodily examination(s) and/or session. I acknowledge that I’ve obtained my healthcare supplier’s approval or have determined to make use of Legion’s providers and/or merchandise with out such approval and hereby assume all accountability for my use of mentioned providers and/or merchandise.
I perceive that outcomes from utilizing Legion’s merchandise and/or providers aren’t assured, and I conform to not maintain Legion accountable for any outcomes or lack thereof.
OUT OF STOCK
Safety Verify
Please click on the checkbox under. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Should you don’t completely love this product, simply tell us, and we’ll provide you with a full refund on the spot. No kinds or return obligatory.
Analyzed for purity and efficiency in a state-of-the-art ISO 17025 accredited lab by Labdoor™, the gold normal of third-party lab testing.
Analyzed for purity and efficiency in a state-of-the-art ISO 17025 accredited lab, the gold normal of third-party lab testing.
This product doesn’t simply “include pure components’’—each ingredient is of course sourced from crops and animals. This product accommodates no synthetic or artificial substances of any type.
Reality Checked
Our scientific overview board of nutritionists, dietitians, molecular biologists, medical doctors, and different accredited specialists is answerable for reviewing each article, podcast, and video we produce to make sure they’re proof based mostly, correct, reliable, and present.
Because of their connections, credentials, and educational expertise, this group of MDs, PhDs, and different professionals has entry to a wealth of analysis printed within the largest and most prestigious journals on the earth.
This enables them to not solely overview particular person research but additionally analyze the general weight of the proof on any and all subjects associated to weight loss program, train, supplementation, and extra.
Should you really feel that any of our content material is inaccurate, deceptive, out-of-date, or something lower than factual, please tell us within the feedback part of the article in query.
Proof Primarily based
We comply with an in depth, rigorous, multi-step course of to create content material that meets the best requirements of readability, practicality, and scientific integrity.
First, our analysis associates present our editorial group with correct, up-to-date, confirmed scientific proof.
Then, our editorial group makes use of this analysis to draft articles and descriptions for podcasts and movies.
Lastly, our scientific overview board critiques the content material to make sure all key info and claims are backed by high-quality scientific analysis and defined merely and exactly.
Should you really feel that any of our content material is inaccurate, deceptive, out-of-date, or something lower than factual, please tell us within the feedback part of the article in query.
