Thinking of how to increase metabolism? This article might just be what you need.
Certain foods could help increase your metabolism for a few hours. High metabolism comes with more calories burned, making it easier to get rid of unwanted body fat and maintain your weight.
So here are 20 foods to eat to rev up your metabolism, which may lead to weight loss.
1. Foods Rich in Zinc, Iron, and Selenium
Zinc, iron, and selenium have various key roles in the proper function of your body. All these are also essential for the proper function of your thyroid gland, which plays a major role not only in growth and development but also in metabolism.
In fact, a diet too low in zinc, iron, and selenium has been shown in research to decrease your thyroid gland’s ability to produce adequate amounts of hormones, thereby causing a slow metabolism.
Thus, incorporating zinc, iron, and selenium-rich foods like seafood, meat, nuts, seeds, and legumes in your diet can help your thyroid function to the best of its ability.
2. Foods Rich in Protein
Foods rich in protein, including eggs, fish, meat, nuts, seeds, and legumes, can rev up your metabolism for a few hours by requiring your body to use more energy to digest them.
This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF), which refers to the number of calories required to digest, absorb, and process the nutrients in your foods.
Protein-rich foods have been shown in research to increase TEF the most. For instance, they help improve your metabolic rate by 15–30%, while fats and carbs only improve metabolic rate by 0–3% and 5–10%, respectively.
What’s more, protein can also prevent overeating by helping you feel fuller for longer.
3. Chili Peppers
A chemical found in chili peppers called capsaicin increases the number of fat and calories you burn, thereby improving metabolism.
In fact, this chemical has been reported in a review of 20 research studies to help your body burn 50 extra calories a day.
Although taking 135–150 mg of capsaicin per day has been initially found to lead to the same effect, taking doses as low as 9–10 mg per day has also been reported in some studies to yield similar benefits.
Moreover, capsaicin may also help reduce your appetite.
Taking 2 mg of capsaicin directly before every meal has been shown in a recent study to decrease the number of calories consumed, particularly from carbs.
4. Coffee
Caffeine in coffee has been reported in studies to help boost metabolic rate by up to 11%.
In fact, people who consume at least 270 mg of caffeine every day have been found in six different studies to burn an extra 100 calories per day.
In addition, caffeine seems especially effective at improving your workout performance; it may also help your body burn fat to be used for energy.
However, its effects seem to depend on the person’s characteristics, including age and body weight. They basically vary from individual to individual.
5. Tea
The combination of catechins and caffeine found in tea has been shown in research to help improve your metabolism.
Both green oolong and green tea, in particular, may boost metabolism by 4–10%, on top of burning an extra 100 calories per day. Additionally, these teas may increase your fat-burning ability by up to 17% by helping your body utilize stored fat for energy more effectively.
The same with coffee, its effects may depend on one’s characteristics.
6. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has metabolism-boosting powers as well.
Vinegar has been shown in several animal studies to be beneficial when it comes to burning fat for energy.
In fact, mice given vinegar have been found in one study to experience an increase in the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) enzyme, thereby stimulating the body to increase fat burning and reduce fat storage.
Additionally, obese rats treated with vinegar have been shown in another study to experience an increase in the expression of certain genes, which results in decreased liver fat and belly fat storage.
Though apple cider vinegar is believed to improve metabolism in humans, it may still help you lose weight in several other ways, including enhancing feelings of fullness and slowing stomach emptying.
People who consumed 20 ml (4 teaspoons) of apple cider vinegar have been shown in one human study to eat up to 275 fewer calories throughout the day.
If you’re planning to try apple cider vinegar to improve your metabolism, make sure to limit your daily consumption to 30 ml (2 tablespoons).
7. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has recently gained an increasing popularity due to its high medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) content.
MCTs are absolutely different from long-chain fats; they are less likely to be stored as fat. Once they are absorbed, they go directly to the liver and convert into energy.
Interestingly, MCTs have been shown in several studies to boost metabolic rate more than longer-chain fats.
Additionally, an intake of 30 ml of coconut oil per day has been reported to successfully reduce waist circumference in obese individuals.
8. Water
Aside from quenching your thirst and keeping you stay hydrated, drinking water may also improve metabolism by 24–30%. This is partly due to the additional calories necessary to heat the water to body temperature.
However, this effect appears to last for 1–1.5 hours after drinking water; it may also vary depending on the individual’s characteristics.
9. Seaweed
Seaweed provides an excellent amount of iodine, an element that plays a key role in thyroid hormone production and thyroid gland proper function.
It can be noted that thyroid hormones have several important functions in the body, such as regulating your metabolic rate.
Consuming seaweed regularly helps you meet your iodine requirements, thereby keeping your metabolism running at an improved rate.
The 150-mcg Reference Daily Intake (RDI) of iodine for adults can be met by eating several servings of seaweed every week.
However, seaweeds that contain high amounts of iodine should not be consumed in large amounts, as high iodine consumption can also lead to thyroid gland inflammation and thyroid cancer.
Fucoxanthin is another element found in some other varieties, especially the brown seaweed varieties, that may have anti-obesity effects.
10. Legumes and Pulses
Compared to other plant foods, legumes and pulses, such as chickpeas, peas, lentils, peanuts, and beans, are especially rich in protein.
Their high protein content has been suggested to require your body to burn an increased amount of calories to digest them.
Legumes are also a good source of dietary fiber, such as soluble fiber and resistant starch, which can be beneficial for the friendly bacteria in your intestines.
These good bacteria will, in turn, produce short-chain fatty acids, which may help maintain normal blood sugar levels and use stored fat for energy.
People following a legume-rich diet for 8 weeks have been shown in one study to experience beneficial changes in metabolism. They also lose 1.5 times more weight compared with the control group.
11. Metabolism-Boosting Spices
Certain spices may help boost metabolism.
For example, dissolving 2 grams of ginger powder in hot water and drinking it with a meal, instead of drinking hot water alone, have been shown in research to help you burn up to 43 more calories.
This hot ginger drink may enhance feelings of satiety and reduce hunger levels.
Another spice in the ginger family called the grains of paradise can also yield similar effects.
In fact, people given a 40-mg extract of grains of paradise have been reported in a recent study to burn 43 more calories in the next 2 hours compared to those given a placebo.
However, the effects may again depend on one’s characteristics.
12. Cacao
Cacao and cocoa may also have metabolism-boosting properties.
For example, cocoa and cocoa extracts have been found in studies in mice to promote the expression of genes that prompts the use of fat for energy.
Interestingly, cocoa has been suggested in one study to also prevent the action of enzymes required to break down carbs and fat during digestion.
Cocoa therefore reduces the absorption of some calories, thereby helping prevent weight gain.
However, further human studies examining the effects of cacao and cocoa are necessary before making strong conclusions.
13. Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables like Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage contain calcium, vitamin C, and B vitamins—three essential nutrients that boost your metabolism.
They also provide sulforaphane, which is a nutrient that supports the detoxification of estrogen and toxins. Their high water and fiber content also increases the ability of your body to burn fat.
14. Fruits
Some fruits are naturally good for your metabolism. These include honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon, and citrus fruits. They are just a few of the healthiest fruits on the planet.
Citrus fruits contain vitamin C, which helps your body metabolize fat faster, making them great for digestion.
15. Berries
Not only do berries enhance immune response, slow cancer progression, reduce lung cancer risk, protect stem cells against stress, increase stem cell levels, protect DNA, and boost angiogenesis, they also provide beneficial effects on metabolism and reduce body fat content.
16. Milk
Milk is loaded with protein, making it great for increasing fullness after meals and improving metabolism. This may result in lower daily calorie intake and subsequently weight loss.
17. Tempeh
Tempeh is also loaded with protein, carrying 31 grams per cup (166 grams). Thus, it may also help increase your metabolism.
18. Greek Yogurt
Incorporating Greek yogurt to a well-rounded diet that includes sufficient healthful fats, fibrous carbohydrates, and protein may boost metabolism and aid weight loss.
19. Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
Low-fat cottage cheese is low in carbs, low in fat, and high in protein, making it one of the many foods that help improve metabolism.
20. Whey Protein
Not only does a whey protein nourish your body, it also boosts your metabolism, allowing you to begin losing weight.
Conclusion
Certain foods, including iron-, selenium-, zinc-, and protein-rich foods, have metabolism-boosting properties. Consuming them regularly may help you achieve your long-term weight loss goals.
However, it is important to note that foods are not the only way to have high metabolism. You can get active through exercise, eat a healthy diet, or take the right kind of nutritional supplements.
