Belly fat is one area many people losing weight want to target. According to research, thermogenic foods should be consumed as they help the body burn more calories. In turn, protein, one of the thermogenic foods, also aids satiety – the feeling or state of being full.
In a recent study, medical experts found that belly fat can be reduced by eating thermogenic foods and incorporating regular movement into daily routines.
Researchers said: “The human body can act as a fat-burning machine by depending on low-calorie foods instead of high-calorie foods in addition to doing regular exercise, avoiding toxins and processed food.”
As for what thermogenic foods are, they are foods that may increase metabolism and calorie burning by enhancing thermogenesis.
Thermogenesis is a process in which the body burns calories to utilise the foods just eaten, converting those calories to heat.
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As for why a high-protein diet helps with weight loss, protein takes more work to digest, metabolise, and use, which means more calories are burnt processing them.
Protein also takes longer to leave the stomach, so you feel full sooner and for a longer amount of time.
In a study published in Nutrition Metabolism, dieters who increased their protein intake to 30 percent of their diet ate nearly 450 fewer calories a day and lost about 11lbs over the 12-week study without employing any other dietary measures.
Source: Daily Express | Diet
