Thermogenic Foods Explained

Thermogenic foods are those which boost your metabolism and therefore burn more fat. Certain types of food are said to increase the rate that the body burns stored fat to release energy, and as calories are burnt you feel more energetic, therefore result in burning more fat through exercise.

Spicy foods such as chilli, salsa, cayenne pepper, and mustard are all said to combine with stored body fat and burn it. Evidence from the Oxford Polytechnic Institute found that cayenne pepper stimulates the metabolism by around 20 per cent, while also removing fat from the arteries, so adding a sprinkling of cayenne pepper to all meals can only be an advantage. While hot peppers are supposed to be a very effective thermogenic food. Dr. Henry at Oxford University proved by adding just 3 grams of chilli peppers to a meal consisting of 766 calories, the peppers led to what he calls “a diet-induced thermo effect”. He said: “It doesn’t take much but I caution that you must listen to your taste buds.”

Iced water is also said to have thermogenic properties. It is said to reduce fat deposits and rid the body of toxins, and by drinking ice cold water, the body’s metabolism will increase as it uses energy to warm the water to your body temperature. However it is not recommended to take before meals as it dilutes digestive enzymes which break down food in the large intestine.

Iced and hot green tea which contain both Cannatic Extract and Gymnemic Acid reduce the absorption of sugar into the blood, and reduce the craving of sugary foods. Studies show that green tea affects the action of a primary digestive enzyme of carbohydrates called amylase, therefore digesting food more quickly thus raising the metabolism.