There’s a new healthy food trend which promises to help people lose weight – Sirtfoods. But what are they and how can they supposedly help you to diet? Jordan from My General Life sheds some light on this new craze.
Whilst flicking through a recent issue of Women's Health magazine with a nice, hot cup of tea I stumbled across their article on Sirtfoods. Now I don't know about you, but Sirtfoods are definitely new to me so naturally, I had to read the article and learn more.
What is a Sirtfood?
Sirtfoods contain compounds that activate sirtuins, which are a class of proteins found within our bodies. Sirtuins have been shown to be involved in regulating biological processes such as aging, inflammation and metabolism. There are 7 known sirtuins in humans, conveniently named SIRT1 - SIRT7. The sirtuin with the most research and with links made to metabolism and fat loss is SIRT1.
It's believed that when calories are restricted, SIRT1 is activated which tells your body to break down fat for energy rather than glucose. SIRT1 can also have an effect on metabolism and speed up the rate in which food it burnt off.
So where do Sirtfoods come in? Well given the evidence on the role of sirtuins in weight loss, there's now discussion around whether eating sirtuin-activating foods can have the same effect when it comes to supporting weight loss. And which foods are these I hear you cry? Well, here's a few:
1. Green Tea
2. Dark Chocolate
3. Tumeric
4. Kale
5. Blueberries
6. Parsley
7. Capers
8. Citrus Fruits
9. Apples
10. Red Wine
However, don't be making any drastic diet changes just yet. There's query around the quantities of Sirtfoods that you would have to eat in order to actually have a positive effect on weight loss and it's something that certainly requires more research before you start going wild on Sirtfoods. Although let's be honest, the majority of the above foods are pretty healthy, won't really do you much harm (aside from large quantities of wine, that might just leave you with a bad head!) and should already be part of a varied diet. What's my takeaway advice from the article? Basically to eat a healthy, varied diet rich in vitamins and minerals and that a little bit of red wine and chocolate might just be doing you some good!
If you like to keep on top of the newest health fads, trends and issues, as well as reading tips and features on how to improve your own health and fitness, then why not subscribe to Women’s Health magazine with magazine.co.uk today?!
