Why There Can Be No Negative Calories Foods

Are there really any negative calories foods?

Are there really any negative calories foods? We wonder as we come across internet posts with a list of such foods. To our surprise, when we look at the list we find the foods such as lemon, strawberry, watermelon, cucumber, cabbage, bell peppers, and tomato, etc., will be on the list.

If you look at the foods in the above picture, you will find that all these foods are low in calorie content. These foods also contain more water > 80% in them. That is the water content in these foods will be > 80 g per 100 g.  The more the water content in the food lesser will be the calorie content in it.

Food Energy Basics

Calories are the measure of the energy present in food. Food energy is present in the three energy giving the nutrients carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Our body will get energy from food. Every activity within the body requires energy, the energy comes from the food we eat.

What is the concept behind negative calorie foods?

• According to the hypothesis that supports this concept,  more energy is required to process certain food items in the body.
• The amount required to process the foods is greater than the amount of energy present in them. Therefore those foods are negative energy foods.

Do negative calorie foods exist?

No. Scientific evidence has yet to show that a negative calorie food actually exists.

The energy required to process food is just 10 % of the calories present in the food. This 10% food energy used thus used is called the thermic effect of food.

There is no possibility for food to lose more than 100 percent of its energy content. Therefore, no food can be a negative calorie food.