Specific dynamic action

Specific dynamic action (SDA), also known as thermic effect of food (TEF) or dietary induced thermogenesis (DIT), is the amount of

Although some believe that TEF is reduced in obesity, discrepant results and inconsistent research methods have failed to validate such claims.[4]

The mechanism of TEF is unknown.^[5]: 505 TEF has been described as the energy used in the distribution of nutrients and metabolic processes in the liver,^[6] but a hepatectomized animal shows no signs of TEF and intravenous injection of amino acids results in an effect equal to that of oral ingestion of the same amino acids.^[5]: 505

Types of foods

The thermic effect of food is the energy required for digestion, absorption, and disposal of ingested nutrients. Its magnitude depends on the composition of the food consumed:

• Carbohydrates: 5 to 15% of the energy consumed^[7]
• Protein: 20 to 30%^[7]
• Fats: at most 5 to 15%^[8]

Raw

The Functional Food Centre at Oxford Brookes University conducted a study into the effects of chilli peppers and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) on Diet Induced Thermogenesis (DIT). They concluded that "adding chilli and MCT to meals increases DIT by over 50% which over time may accumulate to help induce weight loss and prevent weight gain or regain".^[11]

Australia's Human Nutrition conducted a study on the effect of meal content in lean women's diets on the thermic effect of food and found that the inclusion of an ingredient containing increased soluble fibre and amylose did not reduce spontaneous food intake but rather was associated with higher subsequent energy intakes despite its reduced glycaemic and insulinemic effects.^[12]

Measuring TEF

The thermic effect of food should be measured for a period of time greater than or equal to five hours.^[13]

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published that TEF lasts beyond six hours for the majority of people.^[13]

References