How Many Calories Does it Take to Digest Celery?

Celery is sometimes described as a "negative" food -- one that may require more energy to chew and digest than is contained in the food itself. In theory, a negative food would be the ideal food for weight loss.

Celery

Celery is 95 percent water. It is high in fiber and also contains sugars, protein and a significant amount of calcium and potassium. According to "The New York Times," there are 8 to 10 calories in one stalk of celery.

Digestion

Chewing celery uses up about five calories an hour, reports "The New York Times." Digesting celery may take slightly more calories, especially since your body has to work harder to digest the cellulose in celery -- fiber that human enzymes don't easily break down and use.

Calorie Deficit

Chewing and digesting celery may use up slightly more calories than our bodies absorb from the nutrients in celery, making it a negative food. But such a slight calorie deficit won't make any difference in weight loss unless you substitute celery for chips or soda in your diet.

References

• "The New York Times": The Claim--Some Foods Have Negative Calories
• Calorie King: Calories in Celery