How Do Thermogenic Food Speed up Weight Loss and Fat Burning?
The word “thermogenic food” literally means “heat-producing”.
When you are on your way to lose weight, you should not only focus on refraining from eating, but you should also focus on foods that help your digestive system and cause you to burn more fat and lose weight faster. These foods accelerating process of fat burning in the body are called as thermogenic foods.
Some calories in your food are used to digest, absorb, and metabolize other foods, and others are burned as heat. This process is called as diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT), specific dynamic action (SDA), or thermic effect of food (TEF).
Fat contains 9 calories per gram with a TEF of 0-3%.
Carbohydrate contains 4 calories per gram and its TEF is between 5-10%.
Protein contains 4 calories per gram and its TEF is between 20-30%.
If you want to increase your metabolism, the best and fastest scientific method is the ˝Metabolism Miracle Plan˝.
What Is TEF and How Is It Related to Thermogenic Materials?
There is no tested and proven way to determine how many calories the body burns while digesting food. The general formula is multiplying the total calories you receive by 10%, so if you consume 2,000 calories a day, you will burn about 200 calories through digestion. This is a very general formula and does not take into account all the factors involved in the TEF.
Results of a study conducted in 2004 revealed that in a mixed diet, one can consume 5-15% of energy. The more protein you consume, the higher your TEF will be. The more fat you consume, the lower your TEF will be.
Some studies show that physical activity in conjunction with consuming a high-protein diet can increase your TEF.
A study done in 2013 demonstrated that TEF is decreased with age.
How Does TEF Work?
After eating, energy expenditure is increased for 4 – 8 hours because; the body breaks down the food you eat and is ready to store nutrients in the body. This is the period, in which your TEF plays its role.
Keep in mind that the TEF is one of the three components of daily caloric intake. You have your own TEF as well as the thermic effect of exercise and basal metabolic rate (BMR). You use all of these components to figure out how many calories you burn each day, although it is difficult to get an exact number with the formulas we use.
Characteristics of Thermogenic Food!
- Acceleration of fat burning
- Losing weight
- Decreasing appetite
- Serving as a basis for building muscles
- Increasing energy level
- Improving performance in workout
- Improving blood flow
- Increasing metabolism
- Fighting cancer
- Helping gastrointestinal tract
- Helping to improve digestion
- Helping to treat cold-related flu
Some Thermogenic Food and Their Properties
Green Tea
Green tea contains two compounds inducing exothermic effects: caffeine and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Research has shown that supplements containing green teas҆ caffeine can increase metabolism by approximately 4% as a thermogenic food as well as fat burning by 16% within 24 hours of consumption.
However, it is not clear whether or not this effect leads to significant weight loss/body fat loss!
In this regard, results of a study indicated that overweight or obese people who took green tea supplements for at least 12 weeks lost only 0.04 kg and reduced their waist size by only 2 cm. However, another study found that people who took green tea supplements for the same period experienced an average weight loss of 1.3 kg, regardless of the received dose.
Green tea is rich in antioxidants fighting against free radicals (responsible for premature aging and diseases). This drink protects cardiovascular health, helps in detoxification of the body, and is a diuretic agent.
Garcinia Cambogia
Cambogia is a tropical fruit, extract of which is often used in weight loss supplements.
It contains a compound called as hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which can block activity of the enzyme of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) citrate lyase that is involved in formation of body fat.
A review of 12 studies found that taking Garcinia Cambogia supplements for 2 – 12 weeks resulted in a 1% greater reduction in body weight compared to the placebo, which was approximately a 0.9 kg weight difference.
However, there is no agreement on the effects of Garcinia Cambogia on fat.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). This is in contrast to most other types of fats, usually containing higher levels of long-chain fatty acids. Unlike long-chain fats, the MCT goes directly to the liver to be converted into energy as soon as it is digested. This leads to less fat accumulation.
Interestingly, several studies have shown that MCTs can increase metabolic rate more than long-chain fats.
In addition, researchers have reported that daily consumption of 30 ml of coconut oil may successfully reduce waist size in obese people.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant found naturally in more than 60 different plants, including coffee, cocoa, tea, cola, and nuts.
This material raises level of adrenaline, a hormone stimulating your fat cells to release fatty acids into the bloodstream, where they can be used as energy.
This stimulant also reduces appetite and boosts metabolism. It helps you to burn more calories while eating. Research has shown that every milligram of caffeine consumed helps in burning of 0.1 extra calories in the next 24 hours. This means that taking 150 mg of caffeine pill will burn an extra amount of 15 calories throughout the day.
Human and animal studies show that doses of 1.4 – 2.3 mg of caffeine per pound (equivalent to 5.5 mg/kg) of body weight are effective in boosting metabolism and increasing fat burning. The thermogenic effect of caffeine is an important factor in reducing fatigue and is associated with the improved energy level and mood as well as the enhanced performance.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon helps in controlling of blood sugar. It also helps in expelling and eliminating the gas generated from the stomach and also facilitates digestion.
Drink cinnamon tea daily and enjoy its wonders. Pregnant women should not consume cinnamon tea because of risk of abortion.
Sour Tea
It is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, fights premature aging, and eliminates toxins that help you to lose weight.
You can consume up to 3 cups of sour tea per day.
Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is a great diuretic agent, which helps you to lose weight and is a powerful energy booster that also helps the body to consume more energy, which in turn leads to weight loss.
Guarana
The essential oil of seeds prepared from some South American trees, which is rich in caffeine, is called as Guarana. Due to its high caffeine content, Guarana is a stimulant that improves mood and helps in weight loss and slimming. Due to characteristics of caffeine as a weight loss stimulant, Guarana can also be combined with polyphenol compounds present in green tea to help in weight loss.
It is recommended to consume one tablespoon of Guarana powder per day for weight loss.
Mustard
Mustard seeds help to increase metabolism and thus losing weight. For achieving its benefits, add 1 tablespoon of mustard seed to your meals or salad two times a day.
Red Pepper
Use red pepper as a seasoning in all of your meals. Use pepper in the fresh, powder, or sauce forms.
Another thing that can help you to lose weight is adding a tablespoon of pepper to juices, vitamin supplements, and water. This will increase your metabolism throughout the day by burning more calories.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar contains amino acids, such as acetic acid, inhibiting activity of some enzymes that are responsible for digesting carbohydrates. It blocks absorption of sugar and starch, and thus causes weight loss.
Apple cider vinegar may increase your metabolism.
In a study, vinegar-treated obese rats experienced the increased expression of certain genes that reduced liver fat and stored belly fat.
Apple cider vinegar is often claimed to boost metabolism, but there are few studies that have directly investigated this substance.
However, apple cider vinegar may help you to lose weight in other ways, such as slowing down emptying process of the stomach and prolonging feeling of fullness.
A human study found that participants who drank 4 teaspoons (20 ml) of apple cider vinegar consumed up to 275 fewer calories per day.
If you want to try apple cider vinegar, be careful to limit your daily intake to 2 tablespoons (30 ml).
Capsaicin
Capsaicin is a molecule enhancing spicy taste of red pepper. The hotter the red pepper, the more capsaicin it contains.
Like caffeine, capsaicin releases adrenaline, which speeds up your metabolism and helps your body to burn more calories and fat. It also reduces appetite and makes you burn fewer calories. A combination of these effects makes capsaicin known as a powerful thermogenic substance.
A review of 20 studies found that capsaicin supplements can boost metabolism by about 50 calories a day, which can lead to significant weight loss over time. Another study found that people who followed the diets involving the use of 2.5 mg of capsaicin in each meal burned 10% more fat in the next 24 hours than controls.
Application of a capsaicin supplement by 6 mg per day is also linked to a decrease in belly fat over a 3-month period.
Can Thermogenic Supplements Help in Burning Fat?
Thermogenic supplements contain natural ingredients designed to boost metabolism and increase fat burning.
Some of the most popular thermogenic supplements include caffeine, green tea, capsaicin, and other herbal extracts. Although, these compounds certainly have few positive effects on metabolism, it is not clear whether these effects are beneficial enough to help you to lose weight or body fat.
When your body burns calories, it generates more heat, so supplements that increase metabolism or burn fat are considered to be hot in nature.
Some of these foods contain only one substance, while others use metabolic-enhancers.
Producers claim that these supplements will help you to lose weight and burn more body fat, but correctness of this claim is highly disputed.
Safety and Side Effects of Thermogenic Materials
Although, thermogenic supplements may seem to be an attractive way to boost your metabolism and reduce body fat, they do have some risks and side effects.
Many people tolerate thermogenic supplements very well, but they can cause unpleasant side effects in some others.
The most common side effects include nausea, constipation, abdominal pain, and headache. In addition, these supplements may lead to a slight increase in blood pressure. Supplements containing 400 mg or more of caffeine may cause heart palpitations, anxiety, headaches, restlessness, and dizziness.
Thermogenic supplements have been also found to be linked to much more serious side effects.
Numerous studies have reported an association between these supplements and severe inflammation of the intestinal tract. Others have reported hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), liver damage, and even liver failure in healthy adolescents and adults.
Relationship between Thermogenic Food and Fat Burning
Simply put, thermogenic means “fat burner”. Thermogen refers to production of heat in the body. This phenomenon also increases the body’s metabolism, and thus burns our energy. You can achieve this important goal and lose weight by consuming certain foods.
Excessive consumption of thermogenic substances can also have side effects. So, it is important to know how to use them. Examples of these complications are headache, dizziness, insomnia, gastrointestinal problems (such as diarrhea), fatigue, anger and anxiety, abdominal pain, thirst, and arrhythmia.
If you suffer from high blood pressure, heart, or thyroid problems, you should use these foods only under supervision of a specialist.
If you are overweight or have hypothyroidism, then we recommend you to apply the ˝Metabolism Miracle Plan˝.
