10 Foods That’ll Significantly Boost Your Metabolism (Backed By Science)
In this post, you’ll learn about the kind of foods that can boost your metabolism.
As we grow older, chances are that our metabolism slows down. The growing sedentary lifestyle in today’s society doesn’t help either.
The good news is that eating certain natural foods can boost metabolism.
Before we look at these foods, let’s first clarify what metabolism is and how dieting impacts it.
What is metabolism?
Metabolism is the collective biochemical process in our body that breaks down the food we consume. It then transforms it into energy.
Metabolism is a collection of anabolism and catabolism processes.
Anabolism is a system that buildup substances. And catabolism is a system that breaks down food.
The food we consume contains calories.
And our biochemical processes involved in metabolism combine these calories with oxygen.
This, in turn, helps to transform it into energy. Our bodies use this energy in their functions.
What are some foods that boost metabolism
Now that we know how metabolism works, let’s look at some of the metabolism-boosting foods you can add to your meals.
1. Eggs
Eggs are one of the most protein-rich foods. Protein-rich foods can increase your metabolism.
This is because they need more energy to digest them.
A study shows that eating protein-rich foods like eggs increases the thermal effect of food.
This is where your body needs to burn more calories for processes like digestion. This increases the metabolic rate by up to 30 percent.
2. Iron and Zinc-rich food
One of the most important benefits of zinc & iron is strengthening your bones. It also improves the proper functioning of your thyroid glands.
Thyroid glands play a fundamental role in regulating your metabolism.
A study on thyroid hormones regulating our metabolism revealed the importance of thyroid hormones.
Thyroid hormones go into your bloodstream to control the metabolism functioning.
3. Pulses and legumes
Pulses contain more protein than any other plant-based food.
Higher amounts of proteins need your body to burn more calories for digestion. And, that elevates your basal metabolic rate.
A study shows legumes have dietary fibers that feed good intestinal bacterias. The bacteria help to produce fatty acids.
These short-chain fatty acids compel your metabolism to burn more stored fats. This then boosts your metabolism.
5. Coconut oil
Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT).
MCT pass through your digestive system and become a source of energy for your metabolism.
A study of Medium-chain triglycerides shows that they are less likely to be stored as fats. MCT helps in increasing your metabolic rate.
The MCTs help in providing short energy bursts to the body as they affect the liver directly.
They also have other benefits such as raising the good cholesterol of the body, the HDLs.
Coconut oil also contains Ketones which are good for the brain and its neurons.
5. Water
When it comes to health benefits, water has no match.
It is one of the primary ways to survive. Staying hydrated increases your metabolism temporarily.
6. Seaweed
As we mentioned before, thyroid hormones are critical in boosting your metabolism.
Seaweed is a great source of iodine that is essential in thyroid hormone production.
7. Chili Peppers
According to a study on Capsaicin (highly found in chili peppers), boost your metabolism by burning more fat.
Capsaicin is found to be great in slightly boosting your metabolism and fat oxidation.
8. Avocado
Avocado is one of the best foods for people trying to reduce weight.
It can increase metabolism because it contains healthy fats that make you feel satisfied and stops eating more.
It has anti-inflammatory properties and helps reduce inflammation in your metabolism functioning.
9. Whole grains
Whole grains are highly rich in fibers and anti-inflammatory.
A study on whole grains benefits, it was found that they provide a slight boost to the metabolism of participants.
10. Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits are great antioxidants and excellent for digestion.
They are rich sources of Vitamin C that helps your metabolism and boost it to metabolize fat faster.
How does dieting affect metabolism?
Restricting your calorie intake is generally associated with losing weight.
Dieting is a common practice among people trying to lower their weight. But how does it affect your metabolism? Let’s find out.
Our body needs a certain amount of calories to fuel its main functions.
These include supporting basal metabolic rate, digestion, and all other physical activities that we do.
In essence, we do need calories to survive.
But the body often stores enough calories in the form of fat. And it uses this stored fat as energy when we don’t eat.
Because your body is not converting new food into energy, this can slow down your metabolism.
The key is to make sure you keep consuming the right amount of calories to maintain your basic body functions.
Does caffeine or coffee increase metabolism?
Caffeine is an energy booster and helps you stay active for a short time.
Drinking coffee can give an instant boost to your basal metabolic rate and help burn stored fats.
But, the effects decrease with time and work less on older people.
Does spicy food increase metabolism?
Generally, eating an adequate amount of spices in your food works as one of the foods boosts metabolism.
Spicy foods increase your body temperature and help your metabolism to burn more calories.
But, the consumption of spicy foods more than required can hurt your stomach.
