I Just Got Into An Argument with ChatGPT

The single biggest item on my mind over the past couple of weeks has been the online chat tool ChatGPT. I’ve been thinking about how I can integrate it into workflows, summarize data and overall finally use it to jump over some hurdles, but more so to learn. Google is great but having to weed through websites and advertisements to find what I’m looking for, and then actually finding a website that has factual information, is challenging and time consuming.

I’ve been testing ChatGPT with various questions. A couple of days ago, a friend told me that “celery is the only food that has less calories than the body uses to chew and digest it.” So, I asked ChatGPT if that is true. This is the answer.

Is celery the only food that uses more calories to chew it than it contains?

“No, celery is not the only food that uses more calories to chew it than it contains. Other foods such as lettuce, cucumbers, and grapefruits also have a low calorie content and require more energy to chew and digest than they provide. This is known as a “negative calorie” food. However, it is important to note that the calorie expenditure from chewing and digesting food is relatively small compared to the total calorie content of the food.

My reply: Give me a some examples of the calorie content of “negative calorie” foods compared to the number of calories required to chew and digest it.

Calorie content and the number of calories required to chew and digest a food can vary depending on the specific food and the method of preparation. However, here are a few examples of “negative calorie” foods and their approximate calorie content compared to the number of calories required to chew and digest them:

• Celery: 6 calories per stalk, requires 8 calories to chew and digest
• Lettuce: 5 calories per cup, requires 10 calories to chew and digest
• Cucumber: 4 calories per cup, requires 15 calories to chew and digest
• Grapefruit: 52 calories per half, requires 25 calories to chew and digest
• Spinach: 7 calories per cup, requires 20 calories to chew and digest

It’s important to note that these are approximate values, and that the calorie expenditure from chewing and digesting food is relatively small compared to the total calorie content of the food. Also, it’s not accurate to say that those foods are “negative calorie” as it’s not a scientific term and the concept is not supported by nutrition research.

My reply: Why is grapefruit on the list if it has twice the calories? That doesn’t sound like a negative.

I apologize for the confusion. You are correct that grapefruit is not a “negative calorie” food, as it has more calories than the amount of energy required to chew and digest it. The example I provided earlier is incorrect. I apologize for any confusion that my previous response may have caused. The idea of “negative calorie foods” is not supported by scientific evidence and it’s not accurate to say that any food is “negative calorie”. The amount of calories burned while digesting food is relatively small compared to the total calorie content of the food. Additionally, the body needs energy to digest and absorb any food, so it’s not possible for a food to have negative calories.

My reply: Well, where did the term negative calorie food originate and why are you suggesting that the above calories would not be negative calorie if, for example, spinach is 7 calories per cup but takes 20 calories to chew and digest?

The term “negative calorie food” is not a scientific or nutritional term and its origins are not clear. It’s often used to describe foods that are low in calories and require more energy to digest than they provide. However, the concept is not supported by scientific evidence. The human body requires energy to digest and absorb any food, regardless of its calorie content. Additionally, the number of calories burned during digestion is relatively small compared to the total calorie content of the food. Therefore, it’s not possible for a food to have negative calories. The examples I provided earlier of “negative calorie” foods, such as celery, lettuce, cucumber and spinach, were given in error and are not accurate. It’s important to note that all foods provide some energy (calories) to the body and it is not possible for a food to have negative calories.”