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Top 31 Fruits, Vegetables & Other Foods That Will Burn Fat

Are you restricting your diet to lose weight? If yes, then it's going to affect your health in the long run. So, why not forget about restrictive diets and start following a diet that will boost your metabolism and help you burn fat? In this article, we will be writing about the foods to burn fat.

Targeting one particular area of the body to burn fat does take a lot of time but losing overall body fat will give you the immediate results.

foods to burn fat

How Does Fat Get Stored In The Body?

When the glycogen storage capacity becomes full, the cells of the liver and muscles send the excess glucose to the fat cells which gets stored as body fat. The fat cells or adipose cells stock up the extra glucose in the form of triglycerides, a type of fatty acid. Depending on the amount of fat the body is storing, the fat cells can increase or decrease in size and if the fat cells increase in size, it causes weight gain.

How Does Fat Burn In The Human Body?

Once you start exercising and eating foods that speed up metabolism it will help in fat loss because higher the metabolism, the more calories you burn. The body utilizes the energy stored in the fat cells to fuel your body while you exercise. And eating certain foods requires your body to use more energy to digest them.

Fruits That Will Help You To Burn Fat

1. Berries

Berries contain polyphenol antioxidants that are known to help burn fat [1] . Berries are high in fibre and water which can keep you fuller for longer. Blueberries are packed with antioxidants which regulate fat-burning and storage, thereby helping to reduce abdominal fat. It is also known to lower triglycerides level and diabetes risk.

2. Plums

Plums are rich in flavonoids, particularly anthocyanins which trigger the body's production of a hormone called adiponectin. This hormone boosts metabolism, thereby burning fat in the body. Plums also contain phenolic compounds and pectin, a fibre that inhibits fat genes and limits the amount of fat absorbed in the body's cells[2] .

3. Avocado

Avocado is a good source of healthy fats that can help reduce cholesterol and boost metabolism. The presence of oleic acid in avocados signal your body to reduce hunger cravings. Also, the fibre-rich content keeps your stomach full and satisfied [3] . This is because the combination of fat and fibre helps in the slow release of food from the stomach.

4. Apples

Apples are one of those fruits which have the powerful ability to burn fat. It contains pectin which binds with water and restricts the amount of fat your cells can absorb. It also contains fibre which keeps your tummy full for a longer period of time. Eating three apples a day has proved beneficial in overweight women says a study [4] .

5. Grapefruit

Eating grapefruit can trigger your body's fat-burning ability. According to a study, people who ate grapefruit for six weeks saw a reduction in their waistline [5] . It is because grapefruit is rich in phytochemicals, a bioactive compound that activates the production of a hormone called adiponectin which is involved in the breakdown of body fat and lowers appetite.

6. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are low in calories which will make you feel full and help to cut down your calorie intake. They are also rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre binds with water to produce a gel-like substance in the stomach, this helps to burn fat and insoluble fibre also does the same work by adding bulk to your diet without adding calories to your waistline [6] .

7. Pears

Pear is another fruit that helps to burn fat effectively due to the presence of fibre that enhances metabolism in your body. It contains pectin, a fibre that inhibits cells from absorbing fat by binding to cholesterol and slowing down glucose absorption in the gastrointestinal tract[7] . As a result, it reduces the absorption of cholesterol from bile or food.

8. Pomegranate

Pomegranates can provide your body with a healthy dose of fibre and are full of polyphenol antioxidants that prevent oxidative damage [8] . Pomegranates also help unclog your arteries by decreasing cholesterol and improving proper blood flow to the arteries. The polyphenols aid the arteries to expand and contract to maintain blood flow to the heart [9] .

Vegetables That Will Help You To Burn Fat

9. Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are slow-digesting carbohydrates which digest slowly and keeps you fuller for longer. They contain carotenoids and antioxidants which keep blood sugar levels steady and lower insulin resistance. This allows the body to convert calories to energy instead of storing it as body fat [10] .

10. Beans

Beans are loaded with fibre and protein and both these nutrients have the ability to burn body fat in such a way that it speeds up metabolism and keeps you full [11] . Beans contain insoluble fibre that feeds the healthy gut bacteria, stimulating the production of the chemical butyrate. This helps in the fat-burning process and lowers inflammation.

11. Green leafy vegetables

Green leafy veggies like spinach and kale help to burn belly fat. Spinach being a low-calorie vegetable can help lower your calorie intake; it is also rich in dietary fibre which promotes satiety and increases metabolism. Kale is another veggie that contains zero fat, low calories and high levels of fibre which boost metabolism and help in burning fat.

12. Cauliflower

Cauliflower contains high amounts of vitamin C and folate. Vitamin C is known to help burn fat by increasing the body's metabolism [12] . If there is sufficient amount of vitamin C in the bloodstream, it is known to burn body fat at an increased rate and improve the waistline.

13. Broccoli

Broccoli is high in fibre which helps to keep your stomach full and satiated by slowing down digestion and preventing you from overeating. This green vegetable is loaded with vitamin C and the body requires this vitamin to synthesize a compound called carnitine which is essential for metabolising fats into energy.

14. Chilli peppers

Chilli peppers contain a compound called capsaicin that helps in weight management by preventing overeating and providing a feeling of fullness [13] . It burns calories and boosts fat-burning. A result from 20 studies found that consuming capsaicin lowers appetite and increases the number of calories burnt by about 50 calories per day [14] .

15. Pumpkin

Pumpkin is low in calories and packed with dietary fibre. Eating pumpkin will make you feel less tempted to snack in between meals as it's a natural appetite suppressant. This makes pumpkin an excellent vegetable to burn fat and help you maintain weight effectively.

16. Asparagus

This vegetable is low in fat and calories. It contains both soluble and insoluble fibre making it a good choice for you to burn fat and lose weight effectively. Fibre promotes overall fat loss by suppressing your appetite and keeping your stomach full and satiated for a long time. In addition, asparagus contains a chemical called asparagine, an amino acid that works on cells to break down fat.

Foods That Will Help You To Burn Fat

17. Fatty fish

Fatty fishes like salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring contain omega 3 fatty acids. These fatty acids can help you to lose body fat. To back this up, a study was done on individuals who took fish oil supplements and experienced a drop in cortisol level, a stress hormone that is linked to fat storage [15] . In addition, these fishes are an excellent source of protein that will keep you feeling full for longer periods[16] .

18. Protein-rich foods

Protein is one such macronutrient found in foods like fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, seeds and nuts which will rev up your metabolism by allowing the body to utilize more energy to digest protein. This is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF) which means the number of calories required by the body to digest, absorb and process the nutrients from your food. And research shows that foods high in protein increase TEF the most[17] .

19. Coffee

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages and surprisingly it can help you to burn fat. According to a study, people who consumed caffeine before workout burned twice the fat as compared to people who didn't drink coffee[18] . Caffeine elevates metabolic rate by 3 to 13 per cent depending on the amount of coffee consumed [19] , [20] . It also improves mental and physical performance, apart from boosting metabolism.

20. Oatmeal

Oatmeal contains fibre which binds to cholesterol molecules and takes it out of the body. It reduces LDL (bad) cholesterol by as much as 10 per cent in people who consume a bowl of oatmeal daily[21] . It is mainly due to the presence of fibre and slow fat-burning properties that keep your tummy satiated for long making oats a perfect food to burn fat.

21. White tea

White tea is an excellent source of antioxidants that activate the release of fat from the cells and aid in speeding up the liver's ability to turn fat into energy. A study was published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism which showed that white tea has the potent ability to boost lipolysis (the breakdown of fat) and block adipogenesis (the formation of fat cells)[22] .

22. Eggs

Eggs have been touted as a killer fat-burning food as studies have shown that having eggs for breakfast promotes a feeling of satiety and reduces hunger cravings in obese people [23] ,[24] . This is because eggs are high in protein which elevates metabolic rate by about 20 to 35 per cent for several hours after consumption [25] . It boosts calorie burning which happens during protein digestion.

23. Coconut oil

Incorporating coconut oil into the diet is known to help you lose weight due to the presence of lauric acid[26] . The fats in coconut oil are medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) which possess fat-burning and appetite-suppressing properties [27] . To burn fat effectively, you can consume 2 tablespoons of coconut oil daily.

24. Green tea

Green tea is another well-known beverage that people drink to lose weight. It is an excellent source of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant that has fat-burning properties [28] , [29] . However, the effect of green tea varies from person to person and it also depends on the amount consumed. So, drink up to 4 cups of green tea daily to get all the benefits.

25. Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid, the main component found to burn fat at an increased rate and reduces belly fat storage according to studies [30] , [31] . Another study found that obese men who consumed 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar lost 1.7 kg and reduced 0.9 per cent of body fat [32] . You can start by having 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar per day diluted in water.

26. Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt will aid in both building muscles and burning fat[33] It contains conjugated linoleic acid which promotes fat-burning in overweight and obese individuals, according to studies [34] , [35] . In addition, Greek yogurt also contains probiotics that keep your gut healthy by maintaining healthy gut bacteria and reduces stomach-related problems to a certain extent.

27. Olive oil

Olive oil lowers triglycerides, increases good cholesterol and stimulates the release of GLP-1, a hormone that keeps you full. A few studies have shown that olive oil increases metabolic rate and promotes fat-burning process [36] . Apart from this, consumption of olive oil lowers the risk of heart disease by increasing good cholesterol and lowering bad cholesterol.

28. Quinoa

Quinoa is packed full of protein which revs up metabolism and reduces appetite. The fibre content lets you eat fewer calories giving you a feeling of fullness. Moreover, the protein in quinoa requires more energy to break down and this actually helps in burning more calories during digestion.

29. Brown rice

It is a healthy carbohydrate that boosts metabolism and burns fat. Brown rice, being a low energy density food, is heavy and filling at the same time it is a fibre-rich food which will allow you to consume fewer calories overall.

30. Turmeric

Curcumin, a compound present in turmeric lowers inflammation in pancreatic, fat and muscle cells. A study conducted at Tufts University found that turmeric can actually suppress fat tissue growth [37] Turmeric can be added to marinades, tomato-based sauces, salad dressing or grilled meats to boost fat-burning.

31. Almonds

Almonds are eaten as a weight loss snack or to curb hunger cravings. But these nuts can do more than that. According to a study in the International Journal Of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, eating almonds for six months reduced weight and BMI [38] . Another study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association showed that consuming almonds daily reduces belly and leg fat[39] .

To Conclude...

These fat-burning foods work the same way as pills and are almost safe, unlike commercial pills that can have side effects on the body. So, start including these foods to burn fat and improve your overall health.

View Article References
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