Fat Burning Food – Fact or Fiction?

Fat Burning Food

It would be wonderful if there was a food or there were some foods that reduce body fat when consumed and not the other way around. Foods that had a sort of negative calorie count. Many different foods are declared to be just that by voices in the health and nutrition community, but is there any truth to this? In this blog, you will know about Fat Burning Food – Fact or Fiction.

The theory is that there are foods that require such a high metabolism to digest that they take in more calories than what they contain. Egg whites, garlic, grapefruit, peppers, and others have all been touted as examples of such foods that would send the body into metabolic overdrive and shrink the body’s fat stores. Unfortunately, the reality is slightly less magical.

The Truth About ‘Fat Burners’

In reality, any food will increase the metabolism of the body because that’s literally what it takes to digest food. This is referred to as the thermic effect of food, and it’s temporary and the fact is just about all foods will have a positive caloric effect on the body. No food really costs more calories to digest than what they contain, even carbohydrates, protein, and dietary fats that are touted to increase the metabolism.

Research has repeatedly disproved ‘fat burner food’ theories, but research has also proved that some calories absorbed from some foods are not as high as was once thought. The human body doesn’t absorb every single calorie in any ingested food, but some foods in particular still contain amounts of calories that simply pass through undigested. 

This seems especially true if the food contains a high concentration of fiber or protein. Such foods as pistachios, carrots, sweet potatoes, beef, and apples have all been subject to research that indicates calories ingestion levels were lower than previously thought. Scientists still haven’t figured out exactly what the cause of the nonabsorbable calories in these foods is.

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Although these foods have no special calorie-burning properties, many of them still have health benefits, especially when consumed in a balanced manner in tandem with a good exercise routine. As a little reminder, here are some true, scientifically-proven benefits of some healthier foods that can actually benefit the metabolism and can form part of a healthy diet

Chili Peppers

The theory that chilis and other peppers or spicy foods burn fat because of how hot they are is a myth, plain and simple. One factual benefit of chili peppers however is that they contain the enzyme capsaicin, which reduces appetite by increasing the body’s feeling of fullness.

Grapefruit

There are certain compounds in grapefruit that increase the body’s ability to efficiently absorb and utilize insulin, and this has a direct effect on sugar levels and calorie management.

Salmon

Salmon has some of the highest concentrations of Omega-3 fatty acids, and these are good for the brain, heart, gut, and joints. Salmon is also very filling, meaning that it is a food that discourages overeating.

Yogurt

The exact nuances of what makes yogurt healthy in comparison to other similar foods, but the general consensus is that the effect is due to the composition of yogurt reacting with the bacteria in the gut that makes it better for health.

Olive Oil- fat burning food

Olive oil is quite frankly just a healthier alternative to butter or any animal-based cooking oils when it comes to frying. It also contains many of the Omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and brings many of the same benefits.

It is important to stress that there is no way eating any or even all of these foods in isolation directly equates to a healthy lifestyle. There’s more to healthy living than just yogurt and olive oil.

To truly embrace a healthy lifestyle means completely overhauling food intake, not looking for some magic wonder foods to burn fat. Lean meat, seafood, fruit and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and protein fuel the body and have lower calorie counts than junk food and fast food.

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And it is not a coincidence that these are the exact same foods that are good for muscle growth, improving natural immunity to disease, and keeping the body feeling full on lighter portions for longer periods of time so that overall calorie consumption is reduced.

The fact is that there is no substitute for good regular exercise when it comes to simply burning off calories. The goal is to use up more calories than are consumed, and exercise is the most direct method of canceling calories. 

Fad diets and unhealthy diets that focus on one kind of food or a set of foods that are touted to do all the work of lowering body fat are more often than not false and can even be harmful. Sound nutritional advice and low-calorie intake regimens are not as hard to follow as they seem, and they can be made for just about any budget.

Weight loss and getting into shape are worthwhile goals that bring real-life benefits, but there is no magic pill, no wonder food that does it all. Nature has instead provided healthy foods that can be used to build a good diet, that pairs well with regular exercise to keep the human body healthy.

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