Perhaps I’m misremembering because it’s been a while since I last heard about celery’s miracle powers, but isn’t part of the point supposed to be that celery can’t be digested? Wouldn’t that reduce the thermic effect?
Interestingly, Snopes rates this as true, with the caveat that the negative calorie effect is too tiny to be of any significant effect. (Though they also make what I think is another pertinent point in that celery is replacing something else that might be more unhealthy. That can contribute in a way to the “eat less” part of the conventional plan.)
Snopes may be wrong here. Under ‘Negative calorie food’, Wikipedia says: “Celery, a commonly cited negative calorie food, actually requires only about 10% of its food energy content to be digested (due to the thermic effect).”
Maybe it’s worth asking Snopes to revisit this one. Seems like they rated it a good while back, it might need an update. Plus, the source they list as where they got their info uses the red flag term “supposedly” – not exactly a good sign.
January 25th, 2013 at 2:49 pm
Perhaps I’m misremembering because it’s been a while since I last heard about celery’s miracle powers, but isn’t part of the point supposed to be that celery can’t be digested? Wouldn’t that reduce the thermic effect?
Interestingly, Snopes rates this as true, with the caveat that the negative calorie effect is too tiny to be of any significant effect. (Though they also make what I think is another pertinent point in that celery is replacing something else that might be more unhealthy. That can contribute in a way to the “eat less” part of the conventional plan.)
January 26th, 2013 at 9:58 am
Snopes may be wrong here. Under ‘Negative calorie food’, Wikipedia says: “Celery, a commonly cited negative calorie food, actually requires only about 10% of its food energy content to be digested (due to the thermic effect).”
January 26th, 2013 at 9:27 pm
Maybe it’s worth asking Snopes to revisit this one. Seems like they rated it a good while back, it might need an update. Plus, the source they list as where they got their info uses the red flag term “supposedly” – not exactly a good sign.