Last Updated 3 years ago
We all know that if we want to lose weight and burn fat, we need to cut back on treats and move more.
Diet and exercise plans can be notoriously difficult to stick to, but luckily there are some foods that can actually help your body to burn more fat.
Here we’ll look at food and drink choices that you could incorporate into your daily routine to give you a helping hand towards your fat loss goals.
1. Protein
Protein has become something of a wonder-food recently.
Protein is required by every cell in the body as one of the most basic building blocks in the human body. It’s needed for growth, repair and to keep our organs functioning correctly.
When eaten in large quantities protein can promote weight loss by initiating fat burning.
How Does Protein Prompt Fat Loss?
Diets that are high in protein, low in fat and low in carbohydrate are sometimes known as ketogenic diets, or keto. Keto alters the way the body produces energy by promoting a process called ketogenesis.
Ketogenesis involves burning fat stores to produce ketone bodies which are an excellent energy source for the body.
In ketogenesis, the body also stops laying down new fat stores.
Filling up on protein can reduce hunger cravings by making you feel fuller. This may subsequently help with weight loss.
Where to Find Protein
If you are looking to increase your protein intake, complete proteins that contain all nine essential amino acids can be found in animal products. This might mean including meat, eggs and milk in your diet.
Animal products contain the purest forms of protein. However, complete proteins can also be obtained from plant sources.
Non-animal protein is found in beans, quinoa, nuts, seeds, leafy green vegetables, whole grains and legumes. The good news is that plant proteins tend to contain fewer calories than protein from animals.
If you eat meat, you could benefit from making some swaps to plant-based protein in order to increase your protein intake without consuming extra calories.
If you need more convincing, following a plant based diet has been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
2. Salmon
Although fish is a source of protein, salmon and other types of oily fish contain additional compounds that could aid weight loss in their own right.
Salmon contains long chain omega-3 fatty acids.
There are mixed scientific reports, but it is thought that these chains could increase your metabolic rate and reduce feelings of hunger.
A small study found that young adults who ate six grams of fish oil each day had reduced body fat mass. The scientists reported that fish oil stimulated lipid oxidation (fat burning) in healthy adults.
Another study found that participants who consumed fatty acids felt fuller for longer. This could aid weight loss if you struggle with over-eating or snacking between meals.
However, further research into the long chain fatty acids in salmon is required for more conclusive evidence.
3. Probiotics
Probiotics are more commonly known for having a positive impact on the flora, or good bacteria, found within your digestive tract.
However, probiotics may also play a part in increasing fat burning.
Probiotics contain a variety of healthy bacteria. Certain probiotics containing Lactobacillus are thought to prevent the body from absorbing too many calories from the food you consume.
Lactobacillus may also reduce the amount of fat you digest. Rather than burning fat, it increases certain proteins to prevent fat from being stored in the body in the first place.
Furthermore, probiotics may stimulate the release of appetite-reducing hormones.
If you’re looking to lose weight, drinking a probiotic yoghurt could be an easy but effective step to take.
4. Pineapple
Tropical pineapple is more than just a delicious fruit.
In an animal study, scientists showed that obese animals lost weight when they were given pineapple juice.
In fact, the animals showed improvement not only in body weight, but in BMI, body fat accumulation, the amount of fat in the liver and blood lipid (fat) levels, too.
This was thought to be due to changes in gene expression which reduced the formation of new body fat and increased the breakdown of existing fat.
Pineapple can be eaten alone instead of a sugary, processed dessert.
As pineapple has a distinctive taste, you may prefer to mask it by blending the fruit or its juice into a smoothie with other fruits, veg and even flavoured protein powder.
5. Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are often consumed when dieting as they are a healthy alternative to biscuits and other snacks. Some nuts and seeds are not only great to nibble on, but are particularly helpful in promoting fat burning, too.
Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts contain high levels of vitamin E.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant and plays a vital role in eradicating the free radicals that are released by the body when exercising or during periods of stress or illness.
This is important, because if free radicals are not mopped up, they cause damage to our body cells.
If the cells become damaged, the body prioritises repairing the damaged cells.
When the body is focused on repair, it reduces the amount of energy it expends on burning fat.
By increasing your intake of antioxidants to take care of free radicals, you give your body the best chance to focus on fat burning instead.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds contain iron, protein, zinc and magnesium. Like Brazil nuts, they also contain vitamin E.
Eating pumpkin seeds not only helps your body to burn fat stores, but can keep you feeling full to reduce your desire for fatty or sweet snacks.
6. Black Pepper
Black pepper is one of the most commonly used spices in the world, and crucially it contains a compound that prevents fat from accumulating in the body.
Piperine in black pepper has thermogenic properties. This means it causes a small increase in body temperature, leading to an increased metabolic process which burns calories more quickly.
Piperine also prevents fat from being added to existing fat stores within the body.
Moreover, piperine can enhance the bioavailability of other nutrients in the small intestine, which could make the meals you eat more nutritious.
If you are keen to try black pepper, you may find it difficult to incorporate one to two teaspoons of the spice into your daily diet.
To make it more palatable, some people choose to make a black pepper tea by combining peppercorns with green tea and crushed ginger. Others add the peppercorns to honey and hot water for a sweetened drink.
Black pepper could be added to fruit smoothies, or even chewed whole if the spiciness does not bother you!
7. Chilli Peppers
Like black pepper, chilli pepper is thought to increase the metabolic rate by thermogenesis, leading to fat burning.
These hot peppers contain capsaicin which also promotes weight loss by reducing the appetite.
However, studies only reported the relationship with weight and fat loss when participants ate around 10 grams of chilli pepper. This may be an extreme amount of chilli to consume if you prefer a milder meal.
Capsaicin is also found in cayenne pepper which can easily be added to many meals including healthy meat marinades, enchiladas or fajitas.
8. Turmeric
Turmeric is another spice that targets fat burning and prevents the growth of fat cells and stores.
It contains curcumin which interacts with fat cells to reduce fat levels within the blood.
Researchers found that turmeric had favourable effects against obesity, and also protected against some complications of being overweight, including diabetes, high cholesterol, and inflammatory processes.
Similar results were also found for other spices and plants containing curcumin, such as ginger, cinnamon and black pepper.
Further research is required to ascertain exactly how much turmeric is required to be effective in burning fat.
As the spices are safe and do not cost very much, they are a great way to burn fat as part of your daily diet. Simply add to your usual meals for a fat burning kick!
9. Vinegar
Vinegar has been used medicinally for many years.
Apple cider vinegar is a home remedy that has been used historically to treat a wide range of ailments from sore throats to varicose veins. More recently, the benefits of apple cider vinegar in relation to weight loss have been investigated.
Apple cider vinegar is apple juice that has had yeast added to it. Adding yeast causes fermentation which turns the sugar in the juice into alcohol.
Bacteria then turn the alcohol into acetic acid, the component that gives vinegar its characteristic taste and smell.
A recent clinical study found that apple cider vinegar was an effective strategy for weight loss when combined with a restricted calorie diet. This is because it might prevent fat deposition and improve the metabolism.
Compared to a control group who only followed a restricted calorie diet, the apple cider vinegar group saw significantly reduced body weight, BMI and hip circumference. Researchers also noted that their total cholesterol levels were lowered.
Participants taking apple cider vinegar also had reduced appetite, although unfortunately this may be as a result of the vinegar causing nausea.
However, caution should be taken when adding vinegar to your diet, as it can cause erosion of tooth enamel.
Rather than drink it neat, it is better to add apple cider vinegar to tea or water.
10. Green Tea
If you are looking to burn fat, green tea makes a great new addition to your daily diet.
Green tea contains a plethora of antioxidants and may increase the rate of fat burning to help you lose weight faster.
Green tea contains caffeine. Caffeine is known to be a stimulant that could aid fat burning by raising the metabolic rate.
The amount of caffeine contained with green tea is smaller than in a cup of coffee, but green tea has additional mechanisms of action when it comes to fat burning.
When the body burns fat, it moves the fat from the fat cell into the bloodstream where it is transported to wherever the body requires energy.
Green tea contains catechins which improve weight maintenance and fat oxidation, effectively starting the fat burning process. Catechins also affect the sympathetic nervous system to increase fat breakdown, a process known as lipolysis.
Green tea is often included in sports’ supplements for targeted fat burning. This is because green tea has been shown to increase fat oxidation during moderate intensity exercise.
But even if you don’t exercise, green tea can increase the rate of calorie burning by around 4%. One clinical study suggested that green tea could therefore provide benefits for weight control.
Whether you choose to drink it as a tea or take capsules, green tea could give your weight loss a head start.
Using Diet to Burn Fat
There is growing research into natural foods that could help us to burn body fat more efficiently.
Many of the studies included in this article have suggested that further research is required to ascertain how much of each food item needs to be consumed for effective fat burning and weight loss to occur.
It is also important to remember that some trials included only a small number of participants, and so further large-scale studies are required.
Even more crucial is that in many of these studies, participants followed a calorie controlled diet in addition to consuming the fat-burning food item.
In order to see the best results, these fat burning foods should be added to a healthy, low calorie diet.
Final Thoughts
There are numerous foods that can be consumed to help your body burn fat more efficiently. Further research is required in addition to the studies that have already been reported.
Some food items are more palatable than others, and the fat burner you choose will depend on personal preference.
Most foods will be safe to consume, but if you have an underlying medical condition or take regular medication, it is wise to consult a doctor before attempting to burn fat naturally.
Further Resources:
“Green tea extract ingestion, fat oxidation, and glucose tolerance in healthy humans”
A 2008 study into the benefits of green tea for fat burning.
“Acute Effects of Capsaicin on Energy Expenditure and Fat Oxidation in Negative Energy Balance”
A 2013 study into the role of capsaicin on fat burning.
“Dietary protein – its role in satiety, energetics, weight loss and health”
The role of protein in weight loss.
“Plant‐Based Diets Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All‐Cause Mortality in a General Population of Middle‐Aged Adults”
The benefit of a plant based diet compared to those who consume animal products.
- The Fat Burner Smoothies by Diane Sharpe
- Fat-Burner Foods by Caroline M. Shreeve.
Hannah England is a freelance copywriter with a clinical background. After working as a doctor for several years, she now writes medical educational articles to help fitness lovers around the World
She endeavours to empower patients by providing informative content that allows them to make healthy choices for improved wellbeing.
Expertise:
- Health
- Medicine
- Nutrition