• Red peppers are a thermogeneic food.red paprika image by Marek Kosmal from Fotolia.com
  
  Foods that are thermogenic help speed up the rate at which your body burns stored fat. That stored fat is converted to energy that you can use to exercise and lose weight. Different foods are themogenic for different reasons. Knowing more about foods that are thermogenic will enable you to add these foods to your diet when you are trying to increase your energy levels or lose weight.
  
  

Hot Pepper

• Cayenne pepper, and other hot peppers are one of the most commonly known thermogenic foods. Hot peppers are thermogenic because they contain capsaicin, according to WeightLossForAll.com. Capsaicin is actually extracted from hot peppers for natural muscle rubs and topical pain relief because of its thermogenic properties.
  
  

Green Tea

• Green tea is also a food known to be thermogenic. The ingredient in green tea that is believed to cause thermogensis is called EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate, which is also an antioxidant. Antioxidants fight the free radicals in the body that cause cancer, aging and other cellular damage.
  
  

Ephedra Herbs

• There are a number of herbs that have thermogenic properties because they contain a substance called ephedra. These herbs are often called má huáng and sea grape. They are also sold as Joint-pine, Jointfir, Mormon-tea or Brigham Tea. This thermogenic food can have potentially harmful side effects because it is a stimulant. For this reason, it is not permitted to be sold in the United States.
  
  

Coffee and Tea

• Coffee and tea are both considered to be thermogenic foods since they both contain caffeine. This is why having that morning cup of coffee gives people the energy they need to get their day started. Naturally, if coffee or tea is decaffeinated, it will not produce the thermogenics necessary to boost energy and fat burning.