Facts and myths on fat-burning foods

by | Feb 18, 2016 | Uncategorized | 1 comment

We’ve all seen them pop up on Facebook – articles that reveal the ‘secret’ to turning your body into a fat furnace simply by eating certain fat-burning foods. But is it simply too good to be true? We look at some popular myths surrounding foods and drinks that are supposed to help melt your fat away, and share the facts:

Myth: Certain types of food can ‘boost your metabolism’.

Fact: Some types of food need more energy to process than others, which in essence ‘speeds up your metabolism’. However, any meal in general provides you with a temporary boost in metabolism due to the thermic effect of food. Besides the thermic effects, some foods like spices have mild metabolic effects, but it’s not enough to really matter.

Myth: Celery makes your body burn fat

Fact: Despite what you may have heard, no food by itself can burn body fat. A popular myth is that celery is considered to be a negative-calorie food because it burns more calories to digest than the celery provides. However, there is no such thing as a negative-calorie food.

Myth: Eating grapefruit will make you thin

Fact: Unfortunately, grapefruit will not directly cause you to burn fat. But since it contains Vitamin C and a lot of fibre, it’s not only healthy, but makes you feel full faster and has a positive effect on the sugar absorption system in your body.

Myth: Pineapple breaks down fat in the food you eat

Fact: Pineapple has gotten a lot of publicity surrounding its supposed fat burning properties, as it was previously thought that the bromelain enzyme helped split fat. However the truth is that it helps in digesting protein, and not in burning fat.

Myth: Living on cabbage soup burns fat

Fact: The temporary loss of weight that you may experience is due to a loss of water and not fat. And as soon as you stop your soup diet, you will eventually gain all your weight back. Besides, eating only one type of food for a period of time will not only make you feel weak and tired, but will deplete your storage of vitamins as well.

Myth: Caffeinated drinks can help burn fat

Fact: Sadly, the widespread claims that caffeine burns fat and speeds up your metabolism are untrue. While caffeine is a mild stimulant that helps you stay alert and gives you a boost for the day, it doesn’t have any fat-burning effects.

1 Comment

  1. vanessa lesch

    thanks for the tips i love it, i just have a waist problem and i.m still struggling.