While the researchers say that their findings may serve best with capsaicin taken in dietary supplement form, here's another good reason to introduce chiles into your cooking: They'll add great flavor without adding extra fat or salt. Another win for weight loss.
Red Wine
Research published in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry found that ingesting dark-color grapes, either eating them whole or drinking them as wine or grape juice, can help people burn fat more effectively. In a lab setting, the researchers found that ellagic acid, a compound in grapes, slowed the growth of existing fat cells and the formation of new ones in human liver tissues. In a follow-up mouse study, the scientists found that eating the human equivalent of 1½ cups of grapes daily led the mice to have less fat in their livers and lower blood sugar when fed a high-fat diet.
Better yet, Canadian researchers found that, in mice, the antioxidant resveratrol may have beneficial effects on muscle similar to those of endurance training. The same may be true for humans. That's right—drinking a glass of wine may have a similar benefit to going to the gym.
Dried Plums
Prunes aren't just for grandma anymore. Researchers from the University of Liverpool found that study participants who added prunes to their weight loss program lost 5.5 pounds, while those who didn't eat prunes only lost 3.3 pounds. Eating prunes also led to increased feelings of fullness and more inches lost around the waist. Just be sure to double-check that there's no added sugar on the ingredients list, as dried fruit can be a sneaky source of sugar.
Potatoes
Since potatoes have a high glycemic index, they often land on many people's "don't eat" list, but research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition suggests that you can still eat potatoes and lose weight. The researchers found that people on a low-calorie diet eating high-glycemic-index foods lost just as much weight as those on a low calorie diet eating low-glycemic-index foods.
"There is no evidence that potatoes, when prepared in a healthful manner, contribute to weight gain. In fact, we're seeing that they can be part of a weight-loss program," said Britt Burton-Freeman, PhD, the lead investigator and researcher on this study at the University of California-Davis. They also point out that a medium potato with the skin on has just 110 calories, more potassium than a banana, and half of your daily value of vitamin C.
Chocolate
As long as you're eating the right kind of chocolate, this dark dessert can help you shed the pounds. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that regular chocolate eaters are thinner than those who aren't, despite the fact that regular chocolate eaters tended to eat more calories and didn't work out more than the non-chocolate eaters. Not convinced? Our chocolate expert offers proof that, around the world, chocolate doesn't lead to weight gain.
The article "5 Surprising Weight-Loss Foods" originally ran on Rodalenews.com.
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