Asked by: Phil O’Farrell, Hebden Bridge


A stick of celery contains about six calories; chewing and digesting it will only take half a calorie. However, the rest of your metabolism doesn’t stop just because you are eating celery and a 2016 study found that a stick of celery provides 19 fewer calories than you normally burn during the time you are eating it.

So you’ll still starve on a diet of celery, just more slowly than not eating at all.

Read more:


Subscribe to BBC Focus magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun science facts.