Does eating celery really burn more calories than it contains?

There is a persistent claim that eating celery burns more calories than it contains, but the truth is a little more complicated, writes James Wong

By James Wong

IN OUR world of constant information bombardment, there are so many conflicting claims about food out there that it can often be hard to sift fact from fiction. Sometimes you hear an idea being proclaimed as incontrovertible truth almost as often as you hear the exact same one being resoundingly debunked by scientists.

Yet when it comes to a topic as complex as diet, could this often be because both claims have some merit depending on the context? I think looking at one long-enduring dieting belief – that you burn more calories digesting celery than it contains …