Maybe you’ve heard of the term “thermogenesis,” but aren’t quite sure what this means other than it relates to heat. As it applies to food, thermogenesis means converting calories to heat rather than storing them as fat. A buzz word I’m sure you woould have heard though is “fat burning foods”.

When a food is called “thermogenic,” this means that a relatively higher amount of its calories get converted to heat, or that the food item promotes this process in the body. Thus, thermogenic foods have a great appeal to those wanting to get leaner.

Technically, all foods are thermogenic in that they cause a release of energy because the body must use energy to digest and process food. However, there are those foods that go a bit beyond the normal thermogenic nature of food.

Ninety percent of calories are used for either baseline body functioning (sustenance) or for physical activity (from folding a napkin to running a marathon to pumping heavy metal at the gym). The remaining 10 percent is involved in thermogenesis.

It’s very important to realize that just because some foods are associated with thermogenic effects, doesn’t mean that loading up on these foods will shear off tons of body fat. If this were true, then there wouldn’t be so many overweight people.

However, making a point to eat more thermogenic foods can give you that fat burning edge if you already have an effective workout plan in place, and are eating sensibly as far as calories, portions and balancing out the macronutrients: proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Think of thermogenic foods as your adjunct for an overall fitness and nutrition program, rather than salvation from carrying around a huge belly or 35 percent body fat.

Thermogenesis and Burning Fat

It makes sense that if you eat a lot of highly thermogenic foods, this will, as just mentioned, contribute to fat loss goals—an accessory tool that will help speed up the metabolism.

In addition to thermogenic properties, these foods also provide other attributes that are very important to muscle building and overall health.

Thermogenic Foods

Green tea. Green tea triggers a thermogenic effect; it’s not the tea itself that’s thermogenic (tea has negligible calories), but this highly antioxidant item stimulates the thermogenic process, and hence, is considered to be a helpful weight loss aid.

It’s the catechins in green tea that are responsible for this effect. To reap the thermogenic effect, drink 6-10 cups of green tea a day. Of course, few people who are used to Western eating can do this, so thank goodness for green tea supplements: Take 1-2 capsules a day.

Don’t expect fat to drip off, however. The extra boost to metabolism is very small. The next items in the list, like green tea, also have a small thermogenic effect. Coconut oil. Its thermogenic properties aren’t the only reason why you should consume more of this oil. There exists controversy over using olive oil for cooking, in that high heat reportedly turns it rancid; this does not happen with coconut oil. Use coconut oil in place of olive or canola oil.

Cruciferous vegetables and leafy green vegetables (e.g., kale, chard, mustard greens, spinach, broccoli, cabbage). Eat these even if you have a super fast metabolism, as these have a high fiber to low natural-sugar ratio, and are loaded with antioxidants.

Mushrooms. Add these to salads and rice, or stir fry them.

Red hot peppers. The capsaicin in these causes thermogenesis. The drawback is that many people cannot tolerate “hot” foods.

Black pepper. The compound in these, piperine, promotes thermogenesis as well. Sprinkle some on eggs (another thermogenic food) and on meats (yet another thermogenic food).

Any kind of berries—strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc. It’s best to eat these in whole form, rather than in processed form such as some kind of “blueberry cereal,” which in most cases won’t even contain any real blueberries.

A’s and P’s: apples, apricots, pears and peaches – in whole form, not canned or in preserves or pies.

Ice water. Drink enough of this every day, and the amount of energy expended by the body to warm up the water to body temperature will add up to a nice thermogenic effect.

The drawback is the quantity of water required to make this worthwhile: about 8-12 eight-ounce glasses. However, if you’re a muscle building enthusiast, you may already be doing this, but just not chilling the water enough. Add crushed ice.

If all that water is difficult to take, add iced water to fresh squeezed lemon juice and add a little Stevia, a natural sweetener.

Best Thermogenic Foods

Protein wins. Protein is 30 percent thermogenic, meaning that one-third of its calories will be converted to heat just for digestion.



When someone claims to have lost stubborn weight on a “low carb diet,” believing that the absence of carbs did the trick, what most likely happened is that the higher protein consumption, that often accompanies carb-restricted diets, created thermogenesis, contributing to the fat loss.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you should load up on fast food cheeseburgers for more protein. The best sources of thermogenic protein are the following:

• Fish, especially scallops and shellfish. One study reveals a synergistic thermogenic effect when scallops are eaten with seaweed.
• Poultry. Natural/organic is better than conventional.
• Wild game (e.g., bison, buffalo, elk)
• Grass fed, lean beef, especially sirloin. Grass fed is highly preferable over grain fed; grain fed has more unhealthy saturated fats, while grass fed has more of the “good fat” omega 3s, plus, grass fed livestock is not given hormones or antibiotics.
• Eggs, especially the whites

The term thermogenic can also be taken to mean, simply, promotion of fat loss. In this context, protein is thermogenic also because it tends to subdue one’s appetite, unlike the so-called fast-acting carbohydrate foods that trigger an insulin surge that then plummets blood sugar levels – causing hunger shortly after eating the carbohydrates!

In summary, to boost metabolism, incorporate more of these foods into your diet, particularly the protein foods—ideally at every meal.