Can Eating Negative Calorie Foods Help You Lose Weight?

Food fads are grabbing everyone's attention, thanks to the internet fueling us with unlimited information from all around. One of the most interesting food fads we came across was the concept of 'negative calorie' foods. This theory of negative calorie foods suggests that you can have these foods in as much quantity as you want without any weight gain, because digesting these foods may take up more calories than what they actually contain, thereby, nullifying the addition of calories. Basically, the net gain of calories is in negative, hence the name.

What's the theory behind Negative Calorie Foods?

The theory is that you can eat lots of negative calorie foods in order to lose weight. Some of the examples of negative calorie foods are non-starchy vegetables, high fiber foods, water fruits and vegetables like water-melon and celery among others. So these foods have fewer amounts of calories but require body's energy to support the digestive process, helping you lose weight at the same time.

According to Chief Nutritionist Priya Bharma, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, "We always presume that negative means being bad or substandard but in this case this is just the opposite as food that contains negative calories can help you lose weight without destroying the amount of calories that your body needs to perform the tasks in day to day life."
 

_{The theory is that you can eat lots of negative calorie foods in order to lose weight​}Does the theory of negative calorie foods really work?

For instance, as per the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), celery contains about 16 calories per 100 grams. It takes more than 16 calories to eat, digest and eliminate 100 grams of it, which is why it qualifies as a negative calorie food.

Negative Calorie Foods Include:

Foods like berries, citrus fruits, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, zucchini, lettuce, etc. come under this category. Not only do you get healthy calories from these foods - most foods in this category are rich sources of vitamins/minerals/fibre etc - the body stands benefited from a calorie perspective too.
 

_{Avoid eating excess of these foods; instead plan 4-5 small meals}Negative calorie foods are effective for detoxification and weight loss struggles, but you will have to ensure that have you a balanced diet and not just these foods as that will end up hampering your body functioning.

What's the best way to take advantage of negative calorie foods?

Avoid eating excess of these foods; instead plan 4-5 small meals that also have these foods included in say, one or two meals through the day. Everything in moderation is beneficial for your health and proper functioning of your body.