THE myth of fat burning juices pre-dates social media, but it frequently returns as a trend. It is based on the idea that drinking certain juices can increase a person’s metabolism and help them burn more fat.
Our bodyweight is determined by different factors such as age, hormones, health and physical activity levels. Calories of course have an impact, but so do the factors highlighted previous. Excess calories consumed from food and drink is stored as fat.
Therefore, one of the ways to lose weight is to improve overall diet. There have been some ingredients that have claimed to burn fat such as chillies, green tea, citrus fruits and black coffee. This is from the so called “Thermogenic effect’’, meaning the ingredients in these foods may help the body produce more heat.
Our bodies need calories to produce heat so if more heat is being produced there is a theory there for weight loss. But to be honest this is a small effect and there is no single drink that can magically burn fat. When people try to rely on quick fixes this can distract them from developing healthy eating patterns. So don’t waste your monies on these juices, but instead develop a healthy balanced diet.
• Lee McCusker (BA; MSc; MSc; MSc; ANutr; SENr) is a registered nutritionist from Belfast and can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Email: attentive nutrition@gmail.com
