Eating certain foods may hustle your metabolism into high gear and promote weight loss. While eating fat-burning foods may give you an edge, you still need to watch the number of calories you take in and stay active if you want to control your weight, note the experts at the National Institutes of Health. If you want to shed pounds, you are not alone; some 66 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. Always consult a doctor before making dietary changes.
Chilis
Eating chilis may help you stay slim, says K.D. Ahuja, lead author for a study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Chilis boost your metabolism, increase fat oxidation and may even lessen the chances of your body releasing too much insulin after a meal, Ahuja says. When your body releases too much insulin, you experience hyperinsulinemia, a condition often associated with type 2 diabetes, according to MayoClinic.com. Insulin is the fat-storage hormone. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease also is associated with insulin resistance, according to Sudhesh Kumar and Stephen O'Rahilly, authors of "Insulin Resistance."
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar will boost your metabolism, says Ann Louise Gittleman, author of "The Fat Flush Foods." The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar is responsible for this effect, Gittleman notes. In addition to revving metabolism, the vinegar helps lower your blood sugar, slows the rate at which you digest carbohydrates and boosts circulation.
It also improves insulin sensitivity among people who have type 2 diabetes and are insulin-resistant, says Carol S. Johnstone, lead author for a study published in "Diabetes Care." In fact, in may produce effects similar to the diabetes drugs acarbose or metformin. The drugs work by slowing food digestion, which prevents spikes in blood sugar. Use apple cider vinegar instead of plain or red vinegar in your salad dressing.
Gamma-Linolenic Acid Foods
Up your body's fat metabolism with foods rich in the omega-6 fatty acid called gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA, such as borage oil, black currant oil and evening primrose oil. Black currants are especially good in jams and sauces.
GLA helps your body burn brown fat, says Y. Takahashi, lead author for a study published in Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. It increases thermogenisis, or your energy expenditure, via uncoupling protein-1 activity in the brown fat, Takahashi says. Uncoupling protein-1 activity may regulate fatty acid metabolism as well as thermogenesis, note George Argyropoulos and Mary-Ellen Harper, authors of a review published in the "Journal of Applied Physiology." GLA also promotes fatty-acid metabolism in the liver, says R. Takada, lead author for a study published in the "Journal of Nutrition." Use caution when trying borage oil, black currant oil and evening primrose oil.
References
- PubMed: "Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology"; Dietary gamma-linolenic acid in the form of borage oil causes less body fat accumulation accompanying an increase in uncoupling protein 1 mRNA level in brown adipose tissue; Y. Takahashi et al.; 2000
- "Journal of Applied Physiology"; Uncoupling proteins and thermoregulation; George Argyropoulos and Mary-Ellen Harper; 2002
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Dietary gamma-linolenic acid-enriched oil reduces body fat content and induces liver enzyme activities relating to fatty acid beta-oxidation in rats; R. Takada et al.; 1994
- "The Fat Flush Foods"; Ann Louise Gittleman; 2004
- "Diabetes Care"; Vinegar Improves Insulin Sensitivity to a High-Carbohydrate Meal in Subjects With Insulin Resistance or Type 2 Diabetes; Carol S. Johnston et al.; 2004
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