Thermogenic Food and Thermogenics – Accelerate Fat Burning with a Diet

Did you know that you can activate calorie burning by eating? More specifically: by choosing the right products or adding spices with so-called thermogenic effects to meals. Thermogenesis requires additional energy expenditure and can really burn fat. Here are tips to help you make the most effective use of this process.

07 November 2023 Anna Urbańska

What is thermogenesis?

Thermogenesis is all the processes by which heat is produced in the body. It is stimulated, for example, by staying in the cold, but not only. It also naturally occurs in the body after meals – this type is called postprandial thermogenesis, or thermic effect of food, TEF).

Postprandial thermogenesis is divided into two types of energy:

obligatory – necessary to use in order to digest, absorb and accumulate the energy provided by a given food;
optional – that is additional, used as a direct result of consumption of a particular food, e.g. its warming properties.

The consumption of any food triggers the process of obtaining the energy needed to digest, absorb, accumulate and form leftovers from the food. All these physiological processes, of course, require energy expenditure, i.e. calories. It is estimated that meal thermogenesis is about 6-10% of the daily energy expenditure of the human body. By increasing postprandial thermogenesis, it is therefore possible to smartly increase the body’s energy expenditure. To use a popular statement, this can speed up metabolism and fat burning.

Different foods have different thermogenic effects. Some foods require more energy to digest, while others are absorbed with almost no need for “increased effort” by the body. So by choosing them more carefully, you can, for example, facilitate weight loss quite easily.

Macronutrients and postprandial thermogenesis

Consumption of:

fat is 0-5% of the energy burned by thermogenesis,
carbohydrates is about 5-15% of the energy burned by thermogenesis (complex carbohydrates result in higher thermogenesis than simple carbohydrates),
protein is about 20-30% of the energy burned by thermogenesis.

What do these numbers mean in practice?

In order to digest and assimilate energy from fat, the body needs to use relatively the least energy. Thus, it is optimally utilised by the body. You use precisely the amount of calories you supply with fat.

Digesting protein requires as much as 10 times more energy than digesting fat. Thus, its eating supports weight loss, because it stimulates the use of energy. That’s one reason why it is such an important macronutrient in a weight loss diet. When reducing body weight, it is worth keeping the protein supply at 1.5-1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight and making sure it is present in every meal.

Carbohydrates are not the macronutrient that results in the highest thermogenesis, but by choosing the right type of carbohydrates, you can bolster the thermic effect of food. It is advisable to reach for whole-grain carbohydrate products with a lower glycemic index and rich in fibre, as well as to limit the easily digestible carbohydrates. One study found that simply swapping simple carbohydrates for complex ones allowed healthy men to burn almost 100 kcal more per day [3].

Thermogenics – particles that accelerate fat burning

Thermogenesis is also enhanced by other ingredients present in food. They are called thermogenics and are used, for example, in weight loss to stimulate fat burning. This is a clever way to stimulate the body to burn more calories on its own.

Thermogenics are an integral part of the composition of so-called “fat burners” – supplements used, for example, by athletes on a weight loss diet. However, let’s focus on the thermogenics naturally occurring in food.

Here are the most common particles present in food that increase the body’s energy consumption:

Capsaicin from chili peppers – is the best studied thermogenic. It instantly warms up and activates calorie (and fat) burning. It also stimulates brown adipose tissue. Capsaicin is present in hot peppers of various varieties (e.g. jalapeno, habanero, piri-piri).
Caffeine – it not only stimulates, but also causes greater energy expenditure. It especially intensifies the burning of calories during a workout, an additional argument for drinking coffee before a workout.
Catechins – are polyphenolic compounds present mainly in tea (most in green tea), but also in cocoa, strawberries, apricots and legumes. They show antioxidative, but also thermogenic effects. Tea provides catechins and is not a source of extra calories; it’s an ideal thermogenic.
Gingerols from ginger (shogaol, zingerone, paradol) – they stimulate thermogenesis, in addition to helping you achieve feelings of satiety faster. Ginger is an excellent addition to a weight loss diet.
Piperine from pepper – present in black, white and Sichuan pepper. It effectively activates thermogenesis and enhances fat burning.
Menthol from mint – has cooling rather than warming properties, but also stimulates the body to make additional energy expenditure and is classified as a thermogenic.
Curcumin from turmeric – has a double thermogenic effect, because it increases energy expenditure immediately after consumption and additionally stimulates fat browning, which significantly accelerates metabolism in the long-term.

Weaker thermogenic effects are also found in, for example, thymol from thyme, allicin from garlic, quercitin (from capers, apples and nuts) and resveratrol from dark grapes and other fruits.

A review of thermogenic substances reveals a clear conclusion: it is worth making abundant use of a variety of spices in the kitchen. They not only spice up food, but stimulate calorie burning.

What else affects the thermic effect of food?

It is not only specific food products that cause the thermic effect of food. Here are other elements that affect postprandial thermogenesis:

Insulin resistance – cellular resistance to insulin results in reduced postprandial thermogenesis due to deregulated energy acquisition mechanisms.
Age – postprandial thermogenesis decreases with age.
Physical activity – contributes to increasing the thermic effect of food regardless of age.
Size of meals – the larger and more calorific the meal, the greater its thermic effect expressed in percentage terms. Greater thermogenesis is generated by less frequent and larger meals than by smaller and more frequent meals.
Fibre – the more fibre in a meal, the higher the energy expenditure to digest it and the higher the thermic effect.
Level of processing of the meal – the less processed the meal, the higher the thermic effect it can produce.
Tastiness of the meal – some studies indicate that tastier meals result in a higher thermic effect, although the correlation is not strong.
Time of eating – breakfast (and other meals eaten in the first half of the day) generate a higher thermic effect than dinners of the same size, for example.
Pace of eating – the slower you eat, the higher the thermic effect you will be able to generate.
Presence of brown adipose tissue – brown adipose tissue (BAT) is further stimulated by certain dietary thermogenics (e.g. capsaicin) and results in increased energy expenditure. Unfortunately, not every adult has it.

The thermic effect of food is small, for example, compared to the energy that can be burned by introducing physical activity, but it can be used cleverly to help create an energy deficit.

Thermogenic food – 3 dinner ideas to stimulate fat burning

Below, you will find 3 recipes for meals rich in protein (the most potent thermogenic macronutrient!), complex carbohydrates and warming spices that stimulate calorie burning.

Warming daal with lentils

Ingredients / 2 servings:

200 g of red lentils,
600 ml of water,
10 ml of olive oil,
onion,
200 g of canned tomatoes,
a handful of leaf parsley or coriander,
spices: ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, green chili pepper, red chili pepper, ¼ teaspoon of cloves, 5 cm of ginger root, ½ teaspoon of turmeric, ¼ teaspoon of cardamom, a teaspoon of sweet paprika, 3 cloves of garlic,
half a lemon.

Preparation:

Rinse the lentils under running water and pour them into a saucepan. Add water, salt and cook for about 15 minutes.
Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and sauté for about 3-4 minutes.
Grate the ginger, crush the garlic with a squeezer, chop the chili (choose the amount according to the preferred spiciness of the dish).
Add all the spices to the onions and sauté for another 4 minutes. Add canned tomatoes to the pan.
Drain the excess water from the lentils (the lentils should be wet, but the water should not reach above the level of the cooked lentils).
Add the contents of the pan to the pot with the lentils and mix well. Cook for a while.
Serve with a generous amount of coriander or parsley and lemon juice.

Macronutrients / 1 serving:

Energy: 444 kcal.
Protein: 26 g.
Fat: 5 g.
Carbohydrates: 71 g.

Spicy broccoli salad with tofu

Ingredients / 2 servings:

1 tablespoon of sesame,
50 ml of light soy sauce,
10 ml of sesame oil,
spices: 2 cloves of garlic, 5 cm of ginger, chili flakes,
150 g of cooked edamame beans (soybeans) or canned beans,
broccoli (about 300 g),
180 g of smoked tofu,
80 g of brown rice,
30 g of sriracha sauce,
10 g of molasses or honey.

Preparation:

Heat the frying pan and roast sesame seeds in it.
Squeeze garlic through a press and grate ginger.
Chop raw broccoli into small pieces (it will be eaten raw).
Mix the ingredients: 20 ml of soy sauce, garlic, ginger and sesame oil.
Mix broccoli with cooked edamame beans, pour over the resulting sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Chop the tofu into cubes.
Cook the rice according to the recipe on the package.
Mix the ingredients: 20 ml of soy sauce, chili flakes and molasses and sriracha sauce.
Marinate the tofu pieces in the spicy mixture and grill them on a grill pan.
Serve the cooked rice with broccoli and marinated spicy tofu.

Macronutrients / 1 serving:

Energy: 535 kcal.
Protein: 31 g.
Fat: 22 g.
Carbohydrates: 47 g.

Roasted sweet potato with turkey and mint sauce

Ingredients / 1 serving:

150 g of turkey breast,
medium-size sweet potato (about 230 g),
spices for the sweet potato: salt, pepper, chili,
spices for the turkey: ¼ teaspoon of turmeric, ¼ teaspoon of dried ginger, ½ teaspoon of sweet paprika, ½ teaspoon of hot paprika, ½ teaspoon of thyme,
10 ml of rapeseed oil,
100 g of skyr yoghurt,
spices for the mint sauce: a handful of coriander leaves, a handful of mint, green hot chili, half a lime, a pinch of cumin, a pinch of salt.

Preparation:

Cut the turkey breast into strips. Mix a teaspoon of rapeseed oil and spices, dip the turkey in them and set aside to marinate for several tens of minutes.
Cut the sweet potato into strips about 1 cm thick. Arrange them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Brush the sweet potatoes with a teaspoon of rapeseed oil and sprinkle with pepper, salt and a generous amount of chili.
Bake the sweet potatoes at 220 degrees for about 15 minutes, then also place the turkey pieces on the baking tray and bake for another 15 minutes.
Blend the skyr with coriander, mint, hot chili and spices.
Serve the roasted sweet potato and turkey with mint sauce.

Macronutrients:

Energy: 494 kcal
Protein: 44.5 g
Fat: 11 g
Carbohydrates: 53 g

…………

_Sources:

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Anna Urbańska

Master's degree in clinical dietetics, graduate of the Medical University in Wrocław. Diet myth buster. It works in accordance with the principles of EBM - evidence-based medicine. From scientific research, he draws practical tips that are worth implementing. A believer in a healthy lifestyle at ease, without categorical prohibitions and orders. "The diet should be tailored to you, not you to the diet" - this is her professional motto that every patient hears.