Besides increasing physical activity and taking the right supplements, adhering to a proper diet is crucial for fat loss. Research shows that incorporating certain foods into your diet can have beneficial effects on weight loss by speeding up the metabolism and enhancing the use of fat for energy.
Chili Peppers
Chili peppers are rich in capsaicin, a compound that increases heat production in the body and raises the metabolism. Jong Won Yun and colleagues examined the effects of capsaicin on obesity in rats. Subjects were fed a high fat diet with or without capsaicin. At the end of the study, researchers discovered that the capsaicin treated rats lost more body fat and experienced beneficial changes in proteins that enhance fat burning compared with rats without capsaicin. Researchers stated that capsaicin might have anti-obesity effects, according to findings reported in the June 2010 issue of the "Journal of Proteome Research."
Oysters
The mineral zinc might have positive effects on thyroid hormone levels, which regulate the metabolism. Christy Maxwell led a team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts who studied the impact of zinc supplementation on thyroid function. Subjects with zinc deficiency supplemented with zinc for four months. At the end of the study, researchers found that the subjects experienced increases in thyroid hormone output and resting metabolic rate, according to October 2007 issue of the "Annals of Nutrition Metabolism." Zinc rich foods include the following: oysters, wheat germ and red meat.
Green Tea
The main compound in green tea called epigallocatechin gallate may boost the metabolism. Frank Thielecke and colleagues investigated the impact of green tea extract, which contains EGCG, on weight loss. They discovered that overweight and obese subjects taking green tea extract containing 300 mg of EGCG experienced increases in energy expenditure and fat oxidation, or fat burning within two hours after meal intake, according to the July 2010 issue of the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
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