Some foods have thermogenic properties, meaning they increase the rate that the body burns stored fat to release energy. These foods are often referred to as "negative calorie foods." In reality, all foods contain calories, but with these particular foods, the body uses more calories to digest the food than it does with other foods. Therefore, in conjunction with a good exercise program, consumption of thermogenic foods results in increased metabolism, burning more calories and in turn, burning body fat.
Vegetables
Vegetables generally have the most thermogenic properties as their caloric value averages between 10 and 30 and they are low in sugar content. The calories burned during digestion ranges for each individual, but is typically between 100 to 300 calories. Thus, the caloric value of certain vegetables is much less than the calories burned while eating. The specific thermogenic vegetables include cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower. Green leafy vegetables such as cabbage, kale and spinach also have a low calorie content. Finally, asparagus, beets, carrots, celery, cucumbers, onions, turnips, eggplant and zucchini round out the fat-burning plants. The daily recommendations for vegetables are three to five servings at minimum per day. Drinking vegetable juice can be an alternative way to incorporate daily vegetable servings. In February 2010, the "Nutrition Journal" reported, "Using low-sodium vegetable juice in conjunction with a calorie restricted diet aids in weight loss in overweight individuals."
Fruits
Along with vegetables, certain fruits can increase metabolism as the caloric value of fruit ranges between 40 to 200 calories. The fat-burning fruits include citrus fruits like lemons, grapefruits, oranges and tangerines. In fact, by eating a grapefruit or lemon first thing in the morning, your metabolism is provided an extra jump-start for the day. Berries such as cranberries, raspberries and strawberries are also low in calories. The last of the thermogenic fruits include green apples, pineapple and cherries. A study from the journal "Nutrition" in 2009 concluded, "Increases in fruit consumption were associated with subsequent weight loss." However, it is important to note that many fruits contain sugar; therefore, fruits should generally be consumed only two or three times per day.
Spices
Thermogenic spices include garlic, chives, ginger and cinnamon. Aside from being low in calories, garlic promotes weight loss because it contains allicin, which acts as an appetite suppressant as it gives the brain signals of satiety when it is eaten. A 2001 study from the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" reported that garlic lowered cholesterol as well as "interfered with satiety and influenced food choices, resulting in a reduction in energy and dietary fat intake." Moreover, many peppers such as chili pepper, chili powder or cayenne pepper are also highly thermogenic. Peppers contain capsaicin, which has been proven to help with body weight regulation.
Teas
In conjunction with peppers, green and white teas help burn calories and fat. The "Internal Journal of Obesity" reported in 2010 that "tools for obesity management include consumption of capsaicin and different teas such as green, white and oolong tea...Thermogenic ingredients may be considered as functional agents that could help in preventing a positive energy balance and obesity." It is important to remember that while consuming these low calorie foods by themselves does in fact increase metabolism, combing these healthy foods with "junk" foods will negate any positive benefits as the calorie intake is extremely high in saturated fats, fried foods, sweets and sodas.
References
- Nutrition Journal: Weight loss in individuals with metabolic syndrome when provided vegetable juice
- Nutrition: Effects of fruit consumption on body mass index and weight loss
- Journal of the American College of Nutrition: Hypocholesterolemic effect of an enteric-coated garlic supplement
- Internal Journal of Obesity: Thermogenic ingredients and body weight regulation
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