The Negative Food Calorie Myth

There is a theory out there that some foods when they are consumed will burn more calories than they contain. This concept is known as negative calorie foods and is a hotly debated subject among dieters today, and the list of supposed foods seems to grow and get more convoluted each year. While the truth is that by eating these fruits and vegetables you will see an increase in metabolism, fat loss, and natural detoxification, there is no solid evidence that there are any foods that can guarantee a negative calorie intake.

What is more realistic about this theory is that some foods do burn some of the calories that they take in. Most green leafy vegetables accomplish this very well as they are low in calorie in the first place, full of water, and high in fiber. Vegetables like cucumbers, lettuce, and celery tend to burn the most calories when digested raw and can be eaten in bunches and you would never gain a pound. Some other vegetables that are considered ideal candidates for negative calorie foods would be chili peppers, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, and any leafy vegetables.

As the concept of foods that consume more calories than they take in has grown in popularity, so have some of the lists on the internet. Many have also tried to incorporate fruits to this list and the truth is there are no fruits that have an overall negative calorie effect. Sure some contain high levels of water like watermelon or grapes and others are high in fiber, like apples and peaches, and do burn about 15% of their calorie intake when consumed raw, but they are hampered by fructose. Fructose is the natural fruit sugars that add lots of calories to even the simplest fruits like watermelon and can never be overcome completely by digestion.

There are some fruits that can help inspire the metabolism to increase its usefulness by adding enzymes to digestion to help break down foods. Fruits like pineapple have bromelain which is an enzyme that has been studied to promote the way foods break down and is used in meat tenderizers. Other fruits that are believed to have special enzymes which can promote a feeling of negative caloric intake are papaya, grapefruit, and watermelon.

No matter if you believe the myths about negative calorie foods, the benefits of adding these foods to your overall regiment of healthy living will help you speed up your metabolism and promote a healthy digestive system. Remember, nobody has ever complained about adding vegetables and fruits to your diet.