Dieticians: Articles on thermogenesis?

I've been reading online about diet-induced thermogenesis.  But I'm not familiar enough with current research methodologies to know whether the information I'm getting is valid, or a bunch of bunk.   Can one of the dieticians suggest some good articles or reading materials that discuss thermogenesis?  I'd be extremely grateful for any suggestions - thanks.   Kellie

Kellie, We may write an article on this topic but for now here's the deal:  Diet induced thermogenesis (DIT) is the increase in calories (energy) burned ABOVE a person's basal metabolic rate divided by the calories of the food ingested; it is expressed as a percentage (%).  DIT is one of three (3) components of one's daily energy expenditure (the other 2 are basal metabolic rate and calories burned during physical activity).    DIT is the smallest component and may play a role in the development and/or maintenance of obesity.  The DIT for a mixed diet of carbs, protein and fat ranges from 5-15%, which is small. However, the study that I reviewed which evaluated 49 other studies about DIT concluded that the two (2) main things that determine DIT are the energy content (calories) and the protein/alcohol fraction of the diet.  Protein does play a key role in body weight regulation as it affects satiety (how long you feel full after eating it) as it relates to DIT.  I wouldn't focus much time on DIT as its' contribution to energy expenditure  is relatively small.  Instead I would focus on getting enough protein and exercising on a regular basis.  The calories in/calories expended is what weight maintenance (gain & loss too) is all about.   Hope that helps.

Hi, Melania, and thanks so much for your response to my question.  That's basically the same information I found online, although you wrote it in a way that makes a lot more sense than the articles I was trying to read and understand.   I'm interested in this information because I've noticed that when I consistently eat more protein and less carbs but at the same daily calorie intake, I tend to lose better.  It's not a truly significant difference, but I was wondering why that happened, and DIT may play a small role in what I'm experiencing.   I do continue to focus on total calories, w/ an emphasis on protein, and regular exercise, and am currently maintaining a 210 pound loss.  I'm in completely agreement that calories in/calories expended is what it's all about!   Thanks again for your thoughtful response, and if you have time/interest in writing an article about DIT, I'm sure I'd find it very interesting and helpful.   Have a great weekend -  Kellie