How Do Fat Burners Work?
Fat burners operate in various ways. Some prevent fat from being absorbed from the food you consume. Others affect insulin levels in your body, which influences blood sugar and the amount of fat stored in cells. Additionally, some fat burners increase your metabolism.
When your metabolism speeds up, it enhances the rate at which fat and other body tissues break down. This process, known as diet-induced thermogenesis, boosts your body’s calorie burn, aiding in weight loss.
Natural Fat Burners
Several ingredients can help burn fat. Natural options are preferable to synthetic ones, as chemical fat burners often come with numerous side effects. Always opt for natural, high-quality ingredients. Here are some fat burners that might assist you on your weight loss journey.
Caffeine
Caffeine can help you work out longer and improve your exercise performance, which in turn helps your body burn more fat. Found in coffee, tea, and chocolate, caffeine is a natural fat burner that stimulates the nervous system and boosts metabolism.
Consuming five milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body mass one hour before a workout can enhance exercise performance and promote weight loss. Even combining caffeine with low-intensity exercise helps the body burn more fat than exercise alone. However, caffeine can make some people jittery, anxious, and disrupt sleep, so it’s best to consume it in moderation.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract, the most concentrated form of green tea, contains a powerful antioxidant called EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate). EGCG stimulates metabolism and also improves heart health.
Green tea acts as a natural fat burner by reducing food intake and fat absorption. When fat isn’t absorbed, it passes through the digestive system and is excreted. Green tea extract also increases the body’s energy use through thermogenesis, the process of burning calories during digestion. However, it may cause mild stomach upset and, in rare cases, kidney or liver concerns.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid found in nuts, seeds, pomegranate seed oil, and white button mushrooms, is a common fat-burning supplement that helps break down fat cells. It can also increase lean body mass and muscle strength while decreasing body fat and “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels. CLA may reduce body mass index (BMI) and total body mass.
Ginseng
Ginseng tea has long been believed to aid weight loss. Ginseng and the ginsenosides it contains may reduce fat cell size and fat production. Panax ginseng may even decrease weight and BMI. Additionally, ginseng can affect gut microbiota composition, the microbes that make up one’s gut ecosystem.
The Best Fat-Burning Foods
If you’re interested in foods that work as natural fat burners, consider the options below. You can easily incorporate fat-burning foods like cayenne pepper or apple cider vinegar into meals or add them to drink recipes, including smoothies and teas.
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper is a potent natural fat burner. This spicy red chili pepper increases fullness (satiety) when added to meals, suppresses appetite, and reduces cravings for salty or sweet foods. It also boosts diet-induced thermogenesis and fat burning (lipid oxidation).
Capsaicin, the ingredient responsible for the spiciness, raises your body temperature when consumed, and the subsequent cool-down burns calories. However, you may develop a tolerance to cayenne pepper, reducing its weight loss effects over time. You can add cayenne to recipes, including smoothies and juices, or try supplements for higher potency. Some people find cayenne too spicy or that it upsets their stomach, so always take cayenne capsules with food.
Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Experts have studied organic raw apple cider vinegar (ACV) as a fat-burning supplement for many years. Raw apple cider vinegar can normalize insulin levels, boost metabolism, and burn fat. It may also suppress appetite by increasing your body’s feeling of fullness.
The recommended serving is one to two tablespoons mixed with water. You can also use it to make salad dressing or add it to various recipes. Some people dislike the taste or find that it leads to an upset stomach.
Grapefruit
You may have heard that it takes more calories to digest grapefruit than it contains, and in a sense, it’s true! This citrus fruit has a significant impact on weight. Fresh grapefruit can help you lose weight and normalize insulin and blood glucose levels, according to one study.
Eating grapefruit may reduce the lipids (fats) circulating in your blood and balance blood pressure. You can also try grapefruit seed extract for a more concentrated form.
Vegan Protein Powder
Increasing your protein intake, especially while reducing empty carbs, can boost muscle mass. More muscle means more calories burned daily, even without additional exercise. Protein also curbs appetite by reducing the hunger hormone ghrelin.
Adding protein powder to smoothies or meals is an easy way to increase your protein intake and help your body burn more fat. Choose vegan protein powders like pea, brown rice, or hemp protein.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Using fat to burn fat? Absolutely! Incorporating extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) into meals increases the amount of fat burned for up to five hours after eating. EVOO also boosts diet-induced thermogenesis.
Do Fat Burners Actually Work?
Think of a diet as the most crucial component of an overall weight loss plan. Exercise is essential as the second part, while a fat-burning supplement can be the cherry on top.
Always take fat burners according to directions. Exceeding the recommended daily serving can harm your health. Rapid weight loss is not optimal for long-term maintenance, and fat burners should not replace the effort required to develop new, healthy lifestyle habits.
Tips for Choosing a Fat Burner
Once your diet and exercise plans are in place, choosing the right fat-burning supplement can seem tricky. Don’t be swayed by muscled models and flashy packaging. Clarify your goals by asking yourself these important questions:
Why do you want to take a fat burner? Are you sensitive to caffeine? Do you take medications or have any serious health concerns? How long do you want to take the fat burner? Is the fat burner natural without any chemical additives? Is the fat burner vegan, organic, and gluten-free?
Once you’ve established some basics, select the right fat burner for you. Each person’s physiology is unique, and yours may respond to one fat burner but not another. You may also need to give a fat burner some time to work, up to several weeks.
As always, buy the highest quality supplements with organic, plant-based ingredients for the best results.
Points to Remember
Fat burners, while not a miracle solution, can aid in your weight loss efforts. They may work by increasing your metabolism, blocking fat absorption, or decreasing appetite.
Natural fat burners include herbs like ginseng, foods like cayenne pepper, apple cider vinegar, and grapefruit, or compounds found naturally in food, like caffeine. You can consume these fat-burning foods, spices, or herbs, or choose to concentrate their fat-burning power in capsules or extracts.
To choose a fat burner, ask yourself clarifying questions such as what you want to accomplish and which part of the weight loss journey you need the most help with, such as cravings, metabolism, or energy.
Always consult your healthcare provider before starting a fat burner, and avoid synthetic fat burners that usually contain harmful chemicals. Instead, look for organic, gluten-free options.
