MadSci Network: Biochemistry |
For the Manufacturer I think the negative calories statements are just a marketing tool. For the consumer, I think the negative calories statements are wishful thinking. In fact, there is no such thing as a negative calorie.
I believe negative calories are supposed to result when the energy it takes to metabolize a product exceeds the calories in the product. Usually things like celery are claimed to have negative calories since they don't have many calories and they would seem to require a lot of energy to consume, what with all the chewing involved. But the amount of energy required to metabolize a food item is a very individual thing, with some people being very efficient metabolizers while other people are inefficient. So there is no way that this claim can be made for a product.
There are a lot of nutrition related myths that are floating around out there, being spread in the popular press, by the media, and by people who claim to be nutritionists but are really just interested in making money. It can be difficult sometimes to sort out the truth from the myths. One good way to do this is to ask yourself, "does this claim sound too good to be true?" If it does, then it probably is false.
Thanks for a good question.
Jill Irvin
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Biochemistry.