A Sneak-Peek To Best 17 High Thermic Foods

High Thermic Foods or Specific Dynamic Action Foods boost your metabolism, increase calorie burn, and halt weight gain. A good metabolism leads to a healthy life.

This article presents 17 High Thermic Foods that are beneficial for your health and metabolism.

1. Metabolism and High Thermic Foods

Everybody craves a lean and healthy body.  People often complain about weight gain and blame a slow metabolism¹ for obesity.

Metabolism is a complex process that burns our food to produce energy. It means the higher the metabolism, the faster the calorie burn.

The metabolic rate depends on 2 factors:

1. Physical Activities
2. Thermogenesis

Physical activities like walking, running, aerobics, workouts, swimming, and others burn calories. They play an important role in fat burns. Exercising under controlled conditions, our muscles burn more calories.

You may be amazed to know our body also burns calories while breathing, cell repairing, and digesting. Digestion comes under thermogenesis². The digestion process requires energy that burns calories. High Thermic Foods like protein-rich foods require more energy for digestion. This is the summary of high thermic foods³ and improved metabolism.

2. 17 High Thermic Foods To Boost Your Metabolism

2.1. Ginger

Ginger has been used in our dishes since ancient times. Originating in South Asia, gingerly reached other parts of the world due to the spice trade. The reason was obvious: medicinal benefits.

Ginger contains gingerols that have thermogenic effects. It improves your metabolism and burns fat.

You may also take ginger powder for weight management. Ginger reduces the feeling of hunger which also helps to lose weight.

2.2. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar or cider vinegar is an essential part of chutneys and marinades, and it is used as a preservative. It is made from fermented apple juice, with health benefits including weight loss.

Apple cider vinegar is one of the most prescribed high-thermic foods for fat loss. It is an effective appetite reducer⁴. It maintains the body’s metabolic rate.

You can take 1 to 2 tablespoons of high-quality apple cider vinegar with water before the meal. It burns belly fat efficiently.

2.3. Lemon

You might be advised to start your day with lemons. Lemons are really great day-starters. They are a good source of Vitamin C improve digestion, and kidney health and control weight gain.

Lemons contain a strong fibre, pectin, that burns fat. They are responsible for the proper regulation of metabolic rate. They also control insulin, which helps prevent the storage of fat.

You can include lemon water into your diet or sip lemon tea. Lemon is seen as one of the effective metabolism-boosting foods⁵.

2.4. Cayenne Pepper

The most interesting insertion in the 17 High Thermic Foods List is the fiery cayenne pepper. It is anti-inflammatory and has several health benefits, including fat loss.

Cayenne pepper surprisingly has a rich amount of protein. It contains capsaicin, a compound responsible for feeling the heat while eating pepper.

Capsaicin has thermogenic properties. It boosts the metabolism and works as an appetite reducer. It burns fat and displays an ideal herbal quality of any high thermic foods.

You can add 1 to 2 pinches of cayenne pepper powder in soups and stews. This tiny amount would surely improve your metabolism.

2.5. Green Tea

The effect of food TEF (Thermic Effect of Food) determines its role in improving metabolism. High thermic foods require more calories to get digested and increase metabolism eventually.

Green Tea has a high thermic effect. It contains catechin that boosts metabolism. Green tea has anti-inflammatory effects that burn body fat.

The antioxidant property is an added advantage. All these health benefits help the widespread acceptance of green tea as a metabolism booster beverage.

Also, read The Best Time to Drink Green Tea.

2.6. Turmeric

Turmeric comes into the high thermic foods category for obvious reasons. Turmeric is a medicinal herb popularly used as a spice. It prevents Alzheimer’s, and heart stroke and works as an antiseptic.

Turmeric lies in the superfood category. It contains curcumin, a compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that improve the metabolic rate and burn belly fat. It also regulates blood sugar and helps in weight loss.

Turmeric increases the basal metabolic rate. In several studies, it has been found that turmeric works effectively to treat patients with metabolic syndrome and abdominal obesity.

Turmeric tea is a good option to boost metabolism. You can also sprinkle turmeric on eggs. Try turmeric in lemonade and in salad dressing.

2.7. Eggs

Eggs provide you with amino acids in the right proportion. Eggs are also a vibrant source of protein. A high-protein diet always boosts metabolism. Eggs are a good choice in the high thermic foods list.

Surprisingly, eggs have low calories but are high in protein. Eggs have choline (found in yolks) that boosts metabolic rate. You can include eggs to complete a balanced diet.

It is seen that eggs generally lose their nutrient value in processed food. The best ways to have eggs are boiled or poached variants.

2.8. Pomegranate

A balanced diet should contain all the essential nutrients like vitamins, fibres, protein, minerals, saturated fat, and carbohydrates. Pomegranate contains conjugated linolenic acid, which boosts metabolism. It has some chemical properties that help to reduce appetite.

Like turmeric, pomegranate is also beneficial in treating patients with metabolic syndrome. With polyphenols and anti-inflammatory properties, pomegranate burns body fat effectively.

You can try pomegranate juice for its nutritional benefits. Generally, packaged pomegranate juice contains sugar. It would be better to prepare the juice at home.

Also, read Top 10 Best Benefits Of Celery Juice On Empty Stomach.

2.9. Oily Fish

The secret of weight loss is a high metabolic rate. Oily fish like tuna, salmon, and trout are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids essential to accelerate metabolism. They are also useful for lipid metabolism.

Omega-3 fatty acids are also known as appetite suppressants. Oily fish are the natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Fish oil also has a positive effect on your metabolism.

2.10. Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe is one of the finest natural thermic effect foods. This melon is a great source of vitamins C and A, fibre, and potassium.

Regular intake of cantaloupe improves metabolism. The antioxidants present in it are very effective in the treatment of metabolic syndrome. Cantaloupe contains arginine, an amino acid that regulates body weight and metabolism.

2.11. Coconut

The next important name in the healthy thermic foods list is coconut. Coconut is the most popular fruit of the tropical region, known for its aromatic flavour and health benefits. Coconut oil, coconut powder, and raw coconut are distinctly beneficial.

Coconut oil is a great source of medium-chain triglyceride. Medium Chain Triglyceride⁶ (MCT) is a dietary supplement that decreases abdominal fat and improves metabolic rate.

The presence of MCT in coconut oil helps burn more calories as compared to long-chain fatty acids. You can use coconut oil in your diet to improve your metabolism.

2.12. Coffee

Coffee is the king of beverages. A sip of coffee energizes your morning. There is a direct link between metabolism and coffee.

Caffeine is enriched in coffee. Our body burns calories with the intake of coffee. Caffeine is responsible for the regulation of the metabolic rate and weight loss. Studies confirm under guided support, the greater consumption of caffeine leads to better metabolic functions.

2.13. Chickpeas

Chickpeas are a decent source of protein and fibre. Chickpeas remove toxins and improve metabolism. It is one of the important high-thermic foods that are useful in the prevention of metabolic syndrome.

Chickpeas have appetite-suppressant properties that are an additional advantage for weight loss. Also known as garbanzo beans, they are a smart choice for an improved metabolic rate.

2.14. Yogurt

Adding yogurt to your daily meal completes a balanced diet for improved metabolism. Yogurt contains carbohydrates, healthy fats, and useful proteins that help improve the metabolic rate. Yogurt burns a greater amount of calories during digestion.

2.15. Black Pepper

Black pepper is an integral part of our cuisine. The peppery, fiery black pepper has medicinal benefits that made it an issue of research in the medical world.

This tiny, peppery spice contains piperine that has numerous health benefits, including metabolism-boosting. Moreover, the phytonutrients’ presence breaks down the fatty cells and improves the metabolism to an advanced level.

2.16. Mustard

According to a study conducted by Oxford Polytechnic Institute, England, consuming mustard 1 tablespoon daily increases metabolism to a higher level. These tiny seeds improve digestion and help lose weight.

Fibre-packed mustard takes longer to digest, which burns more calories and eventually improves metabolic rate. It prevents you from over-eating, which is also good for weight loss.

2.17. Cold Water

The final contender in 17 High Thermic Foods is the gifted nectar, water. Water is a basic necessity of life. Water normalizes blood pressure, improves digestion, forms saliva lubricates the joints, and carries several useful activities.

Long-term use of cold water improves our metabolism. Actually, our body burns more calories to digest cold water than normal or hot water. It also helps in weight loss.

3. End Line

In this fast-changing world, it becomes highly essential to take care of our health and switch to healthy foods. High Thermic Foods’ need becomes so crucial when we want to improve our metabolism in natural ways. These foods are natural and easily accessible. You should include them in your balanced diet.

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1. Remmer, H. “The role of the liver in drug metabolism.” The American journal of medicine 49.5 (1970): 617-629. ↩︎
2. ↩︎
3. Calcagno, Manuel, et al. “The thermic effect of food: a review.” Journal of the American college of nutrition 38.6 (2019): 547-551. ↩︎
4. Głowacka, Krystyna, and Anna Wiela-Hojeńska. “Pseudoephedrine—benefits and risks.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22.10 (2021): 5146. ↩︎
5. Davis, L. M., et al. “The Effect of Metabolism-Boosting Beverages on 24-hr Energy Expenditure.” The Open Nutrition Journal 2.1 (2008). ↩︎
6. Marten, Berit, Maria Pfeuffer, and Jürgen Schrezenmeir. “Medium-chain triglycerides.” International Dairy Journal 16.11 (2006): 1374-1382. ↩︎

Last Updated on April 18, 2024 by laibaarif