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Vitamins That Burn Fat by Boosting Metabolism

Living in an age where increased incidence of obesity is a concern, we are also increasingly bombarded with the many ways in which we can address this. Some of the methods are just healthy eating and exercise regimes, some of them are pure fiction or quackery and have sprung from some-one’s desire to make a lot of money selling products and many of them fall somewhere in between.

One of the more recent ideas to surface is that of vitamins that burn fat. I have been unable to find any scientific evidence that this is possible however, with a slight rewording, there may be certain vitamins which can play a part in promoting effective metabolism.

The B group Vitamins for Burning Fat

These vitamins are what are classed as water soluble vitamins and stores can often be quickly depleted through secretion in the urine. The exception to this is vitamin B12 which can be stored in the body in high levels for long periods. So how can B vitamins burn fat?

The B vitamins play many complex and varied roles in maintaining optimum health throughout the body’s internal and external systems. One of their functions is that of a co-enzyme which means they unite with other compounds to form an enzyme. This enzyme then acts as a catalyst in a chemical reaction which breaks down proteins, carbohydrates and fats necessary for converting food into energy.

The idea that some vitamins can burn fat may come from here as there is no doubt that B vitamins play a part in supporting and enhancing metabolic function and rate. Without B vitamins in the body then many metabolic processes won’t work efficiently or to maximum capacity.

Food Sources for the B Group Vitamins

The following are the food sources of vitamins that burn fat and boost metabolism.

Vitamin B1/Thiamine Sources – found in pork, cereal grains, oatmeal, flax, pumpkin seeds, brown rice, asparagus, kale, oranges, eggs.

Vitamin B2/Riboflavin – found in certain dairy products such as milk and cheese, legumes such as peas, tomatoes, leafy greens such as spinach and kale, mushrooms, almonds and kidney.

Vitamin B3/ Niacin – found in many meats including chicken and beef, liver, heart and kidneys, fish such as tuna and salmon, milk, eggs, nuts, mushrooms, peas, whole grains, asparagus, avocado, carrots.

Vitamin B5/Pantothenic acid – found in whole grains, avocado, broccoli, rice.

Vitamin B6 – found in meats, whole grains, many vegetables, nuts and bananas.

Vitamin B9/Folic acid – found in oranges, grapefruit, many legumes, many green leafy vegetables, sunflower seed, liver.

In addition to the B vitamins, it has also been suggested that both vitamin E and Vitamin C can help to raise metabolic rates through their anti-oxidant properties and thereby help burn fat. Although I can find no scientific evidence to support this theory, vitamin C and E have important biological roles and diets rich in them will be of benefit for many reasons even if not for fat burning.

This article on the vitamins that can burn fat and their food sources has been written by expert author ‘Deneice Arthurton’.