5 Types of Thermogenic Foods

July 22, 2012

by Cathe Friedrich

What could be better than eating food and having it boost your metabolism? Sounds pretty sweet, doesn’t it? When you eat your body expends energy to chew, absorb and break it down. This is called the thermal effect of food. The thermal effect of food accounts for about 10% of the calories you burn each day. There are really no “negative calorie” foods as some sources would have you believe, but some foods have more of a thermic effect than others, and that works in your favor if you’re trying to slim down. Here are five of the best thermogenic foods.

Thermogenic Foods: Lean Protein Sources

Protein is a more complicated molecule to break down than fats and carbohydrates since it contains nitrogen, and nitrogen must be converted to urea. This requires energy. As many as 25% of the calories in protein are released as heat during its processing and breakdown. Compare that to fat where only about 3% of calories are lost as heat. In addition, protein activates appetite-suppressing hormones like CCK to a greater degree than foods high in carbs or fat. The take-home message? Replace some of the carbs and fat you’re currently eating with lean protein sources like chicken breast, turkey, seafood, egg whites, and tofu. You’ll produce more heat and feel fuller too.

Thermogenic Foods: Green Tea

Green tea has the advantage of being calorie-free, but that’s not its only benefit. It contains a powerful antioxidant catechin called EGCG that gives your metabolism a subtle boost. Research suggests that drinking 3 to 5 cups of green tea daily can burn an extra 80 calories a day in the form of heat. To get the benefits, replace sugary drinks with green tea. You’ll save on calories and boost your metabolic rate as well.

Thermogenic Foods: Hot Peppers

Hot peppers do more than add spice to your life. Thanks to a compound called capsaicin that gives chili peppers their heat – they also kick up your metabolism. Capsaicin uncouples a particular muscle protein so it produces more wasted energy. Eating chili peppers is no substitute for eating a healthy, calorie-controlled diet, but adding more “spice” to your food gives you an “edge” when it comes to fat-burning. Plus, hot and spicy foods fill you up quickly. How to get the benefits? Make friends with a bottle of hot sauce. Sprinkle it on vegetables and into soups for a thermogenic “kick.”‘

Thermogenic Foods: Water

It’s the universal beverage but one that may also give your metabolism a boost as well. In a study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, German researchers found that subjects boosted their metabolic rate by 30% immediately after drinking 17 ounces of water. Drinking ice-cold water is even better since your body has to use energy to heat the water to body temperature. Keep a stainless-steel container of ice-cold water with you to sip on throughout the day.

Thermogenic Foods; Coffee

It can make you nervous and jittery, but caffeinated coffee has thermogenic properties. Research suggests that caffeine boosts thermogenesis by as much as16%. Unfortunately, caffeine can also cause anxiety and insomnia, so it’s not for everyone. If caffeine doesn’t give you unpleasant side effects, a few cups a day may turn up the metabolic heat.

The Bottom Line?

What you eat has a modest effect on your metabolism. Add more of these fat-burning, thermogenic foods to your diet, and reap the benefits.

References:

Science Daily. “Hot Peppers Really Do Bring the Heat”
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2003 Dec;88(12):6015-9.
Am J Clin Nutr May 1990 vol. 51 no. 5 759-767.