{"id":218774,"date":"2020-09-14T10:05:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-14T08:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gymbeam.com\/blog\/?p=218774"},"modified":"2021-02-10T10:06:33","modified_gmt":"2021-02-10T09:06:33","slug":"negative-calories-a-myth-or-an-ideal-way-to-lose-weight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gymbeam.com\/blog\/negative-calories-a-myth-or-an-ideal-way-to-lose-weight\/","title":{"rendered":"NEGATIVE CALORIES \u2013 A MYTH OR AN IDEAL WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you heard about negative calories<\/strong> and a diet based around them? In this article, we will explain to you whether there are foods<\/strong> that require more energy to process<\/strong> than the food itself. Learn if eating only celery, tomatoes, and other vegetables is a good way to lose weight.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Negative calories \u2013 what is it?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Have you come across the term \u201cnegative calories\u201d? It is possible that it has been associated with \u201cnegative-calorie foods\u201d<\/strong> or a \u201cnegative-calorie diet\u201d<\/strong>(NCD). It is a dietary concept in which foods with a negative caloric effect are consumed. This means that the body needs more energy to process them<\/strong>than is found in these foods. This hypothesis assumes that the intake of these foods will result in a caloric deficit,<\/strong> which sounds interesting to people who are trying to reduce body weight. <\/strong>[1] [2]<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thermic effect of food<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The human body needs the energy it receives from food<\/strong> for all activities, but it also needs some energy to consume and process it.<\/strong> You may not have known, but some of the calories in food are used by the body to process food, and some burn in the form of heat. One of the terms that refers to this process is the thermic effect of food<\/strong> (TEF). However, you may also encounter names loosely translated as \u201cdiet-induced thermogenesis\u201d<\/em> (DIT) or \u201cspecific dynamic action<\/em>\u201d (SDA). [3]<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The thermic effect of food <\/strong>varies according to its components because the body needs a different amount of energy<\/strong> to process<\/strong> proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. The highest thermic effect<\/strong> of food has a protein-based diet (20-30%)<\/strong>. This means that when you consume 100 calories of protein, approximately 20-30 calories<\/strong> are used to process them, so you only eat 70. With a traditional diet, the thermal effect represents about 10% of caloric intake.<\/strong> However, it depends on the composition of the diet, because lunch with a predominance of proteins than fats has a different thermal effect. You can compare it in the table [3]<\/span>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/th>CONTENT OF CALORIES PER GRAM OF A NUTRIENT<\/strong><\/th>THERMIC EFFECT OF FOOD<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Protein<\/td>4<\/td>20 – 30 %<\/td><\/tr>
Carbohydrates<\/td>4<\/td>5 – 10 %<\/td><\/tr>
Fat<\/td>9<\/td>0 – 3 %<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the highest thermic effect, proteins also have several other benefits associated with weight loss. Read the article for more info \u2013 Protein and weight loss: how do proteins affect weight loss?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Negative<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

However, in addition to the thermic effect of food, it must be remembered that only part of the total number of calories is used by the body as energy or for storage. When absorbed, the calories excreted, such as fiber or partially indigestible food, should also be considered. We can express this, for example, by an equation [1]<\/span>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Total number of calories received \u2013 \u201cexcluded calories\u201d \u2013 thermal effect of food = calories suitable for use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Are there negative calorie foods?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The idea of a diet in which you only eat foods with negative calories and lose weight is tempting. On the internet, you will find examples that are included in this type, often vegetables or fruits<\/strong>. One of them is, for example, celery<\/strong> because it is made up mainly of water and fiber<\/strong>. But is it really possible to achieve \u201cnegative calories\u201d? [4]<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Are<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

We will probably disappoint you because the idea of negative calorie foods is a myth<\/strong>, a theoretical premise, and perhaps a pious wish.<\/strong> This is confirmed by the skeptical attitude of several doctors and nutritionists. The main argument that confirms that explicitly \u201czero\u201d calories do not exist is a scientific study<\/strong> performed on a lizard<\/strong> (Pogona vitticeps). For all articles, we use the results of research conducted only on people, but in this case, we will make an exception. For exact results, a machine was used that measured the metabolic rate and energy required<\/strong> to digest celery. 33% of<\/strong>calories were used for digestion and 43% were excreted<\/strong>, which unfortunately does not represent 100%. The difference is 24% of calories<\/strong> from raw and diced celery. It follows that even though celery is mainly made of water and fiber, it does not \u201cpass\u201d through the digestive tract without some energy remaining in the body. [5]<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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